Falcon girls step up to beat Bucs

RUMFORD -- Junior Makayla White scored a career-high 15 points to lead a foursome in double figures as the Mountain Valley girls' basketball team stepped up for a 58-38 win against Georges Valley.

Mountain Valley established control early and exercised patience, in front of the Buccaneers' zone, especially in the fourth quarter. The Falcons received well-balanced contributions from Ayla Allen (15 points), Chrissy Briggs (11 points) and McKenzie Paterson (10 points).

“In the fourth quarter, the defense stepped up," said MV coach Rich Allen. “We had been getting good looks at the basket throughout the first half and they finally started to fall when we needed them. We are getting better executing against a zone.”

Georges Valley’s Kennadi Grover (17 points) had cut the deficit to 10 points, but the Falcons responded with a 7-0 run. White made a fastbreak layup following a long pass from Paterson (five steals). Lindsay Gallant hit a pull-up basket in the lane and following a steal, MV swung the ball around to White, who made a conventional three-point play.

“We just needed to keep shooting,” said Paterson, whose team took 71 shots. “The difference has been that we have been playing as a team. That wasn’t the case in the beginning of the season because it was more individual. Now the team is molding together.”

Mtn.Valley (nine turnovers) had taken a double-digit lead on three pointers by Briggs and White and led 46-31 after three quarters.

“We really hustled,” said White, who came off the bench to collect five offensive rebounds. “The team is playing with confidence and we are mentally tougher.”

Allen (nine rebounds, four steals, three blocks) was a force underneath the basket, scoring two hoops in a row and White put back a rebound to give MV a 27-21 lead at halftime.

MV stayed busy over vaction by playing in the Capital City Classic at the Augusta Civic Center. They lost to Lake Region by six and were defeated by Class A power Cony.

“Cony is in a class of its own,” said coach Allen. “But it was a good experience for our girls. They played a lot and it will help the program.”

Mountain Valley shot 36 percent from the floor and the teams combined to make seven free throws in the game. The Falcons led 12-2 early behind Briggs' two treys.

Georges Valley (40 percent shooting) committed 22 turnovers.