PUT AT BOTTOM OF TONIGHT’S ROUNDUP

Class D Girls

Hyde 41, Gr. Port. Christian 32

No. 6 Hyde advanced to its first-ever Western Class D girls’ basketball championship game by ousting No. 2 Greater Portland Christian 41-32.

What price the Phoenix paid for the semifinal triumph Thursday at Augusta Civic Center remains to be seen.

While their teammates enjoyed a subdued celebration and mugged for the public television cameras, Hyde’s two leading scorers, Shanikwa James and Sabriah Faustin, sat unsteadily on the team bench, in obvious pain.

James lay motionless on the court for several minutes late in the third quarter after falling on the basketball and struggling to gain her breath. She returned early in the fourth period and scored a basket before doubling over and returning to the sideline.

Faustin suffered an inadvertent blow to the head while scrambling for a loose ball at the final horn.

Hyde (11-9) hopes the two will be available for the regional final against No. 5 Valley at 7:05 p.m. Saturday.

James, a 5-foot-9 junior from New York City, finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds and five steals in her abbreviated duty. She put up 27 points and 23 boards in a quarterfinal win over Gould.

Faustin added 10 points, while freshman Mahalia Gauld chipped in eight points, four assists and three steals.

Shayna Diaz and Eliza Skakel helped Hyde establish a slight rebounding edge over the taller Lions (13-5).

Emily Johnson and Casey Eastwood combined for 20 points and 20 rebounds for GPC, whose downfall was an 11-for-49 clip from the field. Those struggles mirrored last year’s effort in a 41-21 quarterfinal loss to Hyde.

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