The Bangor High School Rams girls basketball team made a statement on Friday night.
The Rams reeled off a 13-0 run in the third quarter to build a 20-point lead and held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by defending State AA champ Cheverus of Portland to earn a season-opening 52-44 victory at the Red Barry Gym.
Senior center Abbie Quinn scored 17 points and grabbed five rebounds to pace the Rams. She also had three steals.
Emmie Streams had 10 points, three rebounds and four assists.
Cassidy Ireland had six points.
Maddie Fitzpatrick’s 14 points and nine rebounds led Cheverus and Emma Lizotte netted 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. She also four blocked shots.
Bangor rattled off 10 straight points after Megan Dearborn hit a 15-foot jumper to open the game’s scoring for Cheverus.
Quinn sank a pair of free throws and popped in an offensive rebound before Streams hit a layup and Quinn capped the flurry by scoring off another offensive rebound and converting a Taylor Coombs pass inside.
Bangor built a 10-point lead early in the second period before Cheverus went on an 11-4 run to pull within 21-18.
But Streams hit a three and Quinn fed Cassidy Ireland for a short jumper before Lizotte fed Jaelyn Jensen for a 10-footer to close out the half as the Rams took a 26-20 lead into the intermission.
