The defending girls state Class C basketball champion Howlers from Penobscot Valley High School in Howland will look to do something they haven’t done in three tries already this season: beat Bangor Christian.
The two teams meet again in Wednesday’s 11:30 a.m. Class D North Tournament semifinal at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
Behind the addition of Central High of Corinth transfer sisters Mary and Annie Allen, the 19-0 Patriots beat the Howlers 50-40 at the Cross Insurance Center on Dec. 16, 62-53 in Howland on Jan. 10 and 41-33 on the Skip Chappelle Court at the University of Maine’s Memorial Gym in Orono on Jan. 27.
“They say it’s hard to beat a team three times, but they don’t say anything about how hard it is to beat a team four times,” Penobscot Valley senior guard and leading scorer Rylee Moulton said. “I think we’re all pretty motivated. We’ve been working on what it takes to get that win.’’
In order to upset the Patriots, Moulton said, it is going to take a lot of patience on offense and just trusting each other out there.
“I think we’re well-prepared,” Moulton added.
“We’re going to need to come out flying,” Penobscot Valley senior forward Lila Cummings said. “It’s going to be our biggest test of the year.
Cummings said the Howlers are going to have to “play connected the whole time and we have to talk through all of it. Knowing where people are and how they’re going to try to hurt us.”
She added that their motivation is “through the roof” heading into another matchup against the Patriots.
“Hopefully, this time we’re going to get them,” Cummings said. “We’ve obviously played them three times already and we know the team well and we know what we need to do to beat them.”
Bangor Christian coach Brock Bradford said both teams know each other really well and have an understanding of what the other team is trying to accomplish.
“It really comes down to who can execute their strategy and game plan and knock down the shots when they’re there. And do all the little things,” Bradford added. “You have to put together 32 minutes regardless of who the opponent is and against a good team you have to compete and play hard and play well for four quarters.”
Bradford noted that what happened during the regular season doesn’t matter now.
“It’s who comes ready to play and can impose their will on the other team,” he said. “It should be a lot of fun.”
Senior guard Mary Allen, who pumped in 42 points in their 87-27 win over Schenck of East Millinocket in Monday’s quarterfinal, said Wednesday’s showdown is “going to be just as hard as the other games we played against them” during the regular season.
“They’re a great team. They have great tournament experience,” Allen said. “I can always expect a really, really good game out of them — a complete game.”
Allen said Bangor Christian is really looking forward to it. And she said defense will decide the game.
“It’s always a big defensive game against them,” Allen said. “Which team wants to get down and play a little more scrappy defense will come out with the win.”
