Class B girls states
The Oceanside Mariners defeated the Old Town Coyotes 33-25 Friday evening for the girls Class B state title.
The Coyotes handed Ellsworth their only loss of the season in the regional final, giving them a boost of confidence in the final matchup of their season. The Mariners beat Spruce Mountain 44-33 in their regional final, defending their first place slot.
On offense, Oceanside works the ball around Junior forward, Bailey Breen. Aubrianna Hoose, a Junior guard, takes the ball up the floor, distributing it to her teammates. The Mariner’s take the best shots on the court, usually taking up a lot of time on the clock to do so.
On the other end, Old Town relies on Senior guard, Makayla Emerson, to lead their offense. She effortlessly takes the ball up the court and commences her teams play. Inside for the Coyotes is Senior forward, Saige Evans. She collects the rebounds and quickly makes post-moves, often allowing her to be the top scorer.
Oceanside came out in a man-to-man defense while Old Town decided to ditch their old trapping-zone, but not to their advantage. Breen made a layup seconds into the game due to no coverage on the low block. Luckily for the Coyotes, Emerson’s shots were falling. She drained a three after Breen’s deuce, and made a jumper for an early 5-4 lead with two minutes left in the first.
However, things started to take a turn in the last four minutes. Renee Ripley, a Sophomore guard, drilled two three-pointers, propelling the Mariners ahead 12-5 at the two minute mark. In the last seconds of the first Evans attempted a jump-shot, and was fouled. She drilled both free throws to keep Old Town’s deficit to a single digit. Oceanside led 16-7 going into the second quarter.
Evans was tasked with guarding Breen for this match. She showed tremendous hustle when tracking down rebounds, oftentimes falling out of bounds to save the ball. Oceanside was barely missing any shots despite Old Town’s work on defense. Grace Mackie, a Freshman guard, hit a triple, taking the Mariner’s lead 22-7 with four minutes to go in the half.
On the offensive side, Evans hit a triple with two to go giving her team a boost of hope. Nonetheless, Oceanside continued to bury the rock in the hoop until the clock ran out. Breen, Hoose and Ripley added points; eventually carrying them to a 25-10 lead at half.
In the third quarter the Coyotes outscored their opponents 10-3. Elizabeth Magoon, a Junior guard, slung the ball to Emerson driving through the key for an early basket. That basket was the catalyst for Old Town’s comeback. Emerson cashed two free throws from a layup attempt and made a euro-step, getting her team back in the game with a score of 25-16.
Evans battled on the boards to get every offensive rebound possible for her teammates, silencing Breen’s reign. Karina Dumond, a Sophomore forward, hit a jumper with a minute left in the third, reducing Old Town’s deficit 28-20 heading into the final quarter.
The Coyote’s plugged away on defense, regaining possession multiple times, but rarely converting their attempts. Breen wracked up three fouls in the last few minutes due to Old Town’s pressure. Evans made a layup and Emerson a three, getting very close. However, Oceanside came out on top with a 33-25 win.
The Mariner’s showcased their excellent decision making, typically taking their time for the most-best shots on the court. Breen led with five rebounds and four assists, while the high scorer was Emerson with 14 points.
