By Pete Warner, Special to the BDN
The Old Town Coyotes have played in three consecutive Class B North girls basketball title games. Finally, they are the regional champions.
Old Town’s senior experience and poise prevailed on Friday night as coach Heather Richards’ team earned a resounding 58-42 victory over top-seeded Ellsworth at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
The second-seeded Coyotes (18-2) will take on South champion Oceanside of Rockland (21-0) in Friday’s 6 p.m. state championship game at the Cross Insurance Center.
Coach Andy Pooler’s Ellsworth squad, the 2023 Class B state champion, suffered its first setback after 20 consecutive victories this season.
Senior Saige Evans spearheaded the charge for Old Town, pouring in a game-high 26 points and pulling down 16 rebounds. Senior Alexis Degrasse tallied 15 points for the Coyotes and senior Makayla Emerson contributed nine points.
Junior Grace Jaffrey paced Ellsworth with 12 points and classmate Lily Bean added seven.
The Mariners defeated Spruce Mountain of Jay 44-33 in Friday’s South title game in Portland.
It was the third consecutive appearance in the North final for Old Town, which had lost to eventual state champ Ellsworth in the 2023 title contest.
The Coyotes surged into halftime with a 35-22 lead after a long 3-pointer by Makayla Emerson. The shot characterized the confidence and accuracy with which Old Town attacked the Eagles during the entire half.
Old Town overcame eight turnovers by shooting 62 percent from the field, connecting on 16 of 26 field-goal attempts. Saige Evans spearheaded the effort by scoring 14 points on 7-for-9 accuracy, getting many of those points close to the basket.
Evans also snared seven rebounds to help the Coyotes earn a commanding 14-3 advantage on the boards.
Old Town did a good job of contesting the Eagles’ shooters with its player-to-player defense and limited Ellsworth to one shot on most possessions.
The Coyotes did all of it without starting senior guard Taylor Loring, who suffered a knee injury in the semifinal victory over Mount Desert Island.
Grace Jaffrey paced the Ellsworth offense with 10 points, including two 3-pointers.
