The undefeated Bangor High School girls basketball team didn’t waste any time establishing the foundation for its seventh win against the youthful Brewer Witches on Tuesday night.
The Class AA Rams, creating turnover-after-turnover with their suffocating full-court press, scored the game’s first 20 points en route to a 65-30 victory over the Witches at the Red Barry Gym.
Bangor forced four of its eight first-quarter turnovers in the game’s first 2:23.
Bangor led 23-6 after the first period and never looked back.
“They’re a good fundamental basketball team,” said first-year Brewer coach Chad LaBree, whose Class A Witches are now 2-4. “They get up and down the court very well, they see the court very well and they got us on our heels early.”
Senior forward-center Abbie Quinn led the way for the Rams with 18 points and 11 rebounds, both game-highs. She also had two steals and a blocked shot.
Senior point guard Emmie Streams scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds, made four steals and dished out four assists.
Senior forward Taylor Coombs contributed 12 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
“It was a good game for us to really work on our transition and get up the court,” said Bangor coach Jay Kemble, whose Rams are holding opponents to an average of 38 points per game. “We pressed full-court in the first half because that’s something you have to develop and get better at. You never know when you’re going to need it.
Coombs said they knew Brewer had a lot of young players “so we definitely wanted to run them.”
Sophomore guard Allie Flagg came off the bench for Brewer and poured in 15 points. She also had five steals and three rebounds.
Freshman center Grace LaBree scored six points and also had seven rebounds and three blocked shots and junior guard Mariah Roberts finished with six points and five rebounds.
In addition to their defense, the Rams also worked the ball around well in their half-court offense when they weren’t attacking the rim off fast break opportunities.
The Rams did a nice job finding the open shooter.
“Everybody got good shots,” Streams said.
Quinn and Streams had seven points apiece during Bangor’s 20-0 run to start the game and Coombs had four points.
Flagg’s 3-pointer from the left side with 1:11 remaining in the first quarter snapped the run but Streams answered with a 3-pointer before Roberts closed out the quarter with a three from the corner off a Flagg pass.
Brewer couldn’t get closer than 15 the rest of the way.
Bangor has a lot of the components you need to contend for a title and games like this are valuable because they enable Kemble to play all 11 players and build depth, which is what the Rams will need in order to make a championship run.
Brewer is a work in progress. LaBree started two freshmen, a sophomore, a junior and a senior. The Witches will take some lumps this season but the future is bright as their young players earn valuable playing time.
Bangor, the Class AA North Heal Points standings leader, will host Class A South points leader Brunswick in a battle of unbeatens on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The Dragons are 6-0.
Brewer will also face a 6-0 team in its next game as it visits Gardiner on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
