Lady Cougars upset the Andies

DIXFIELD -- Hannah Knight and Angela Ronan each scored 11 points, but their free throws proved vital as the Lady Cougars pulled away down the stretch for a 39-36 upset win against Livermore Falls in girl’s basketball.

Top-ranked Livermore Falls (12-2) had beaten No. 4 Dirigo (11-3), last month. The score was tied or changed nine times in the third quarter and it was certainly a prelude of what was on tap.

Dirigo took the lead for good at 34-33 when Ronan (10 rebounds), scored on her own missed shot with 2:45 remaining in the game. The Cougars then scored nine of the 12 points in the final period.

“This is a huge win for us,” said Dirigo coach Reggie Weston. “We new they wanted to get the ball in (Kathryn) Ventrella's hands so we used a zone and extended the defense. This was a very good team that we beat.”

Dirigo received a golden opportunity when Andies' center Marissa Welch (12 points, 11 rebounds) was called for an offensive foul. The Cougars made free throws, two by Knight (four defensive rebounds, four assists) and one by Ronan to lead 37-33.

“We just needed to play solid defense down the stretch,” said Knight. “One (objective) was to get on Ventrella (nine points). Nobody stood around and our pressure and running with the ball was the difference.”

Dirigo made six of 12 free throws in fourth quarter (eight of 20 overall), while LF missed their four attempts from the charity stripe.

Livermore Falls called timeout with 1:22 to go. Megan Therrien (nine points) buried a three pointer with 13.9 seconds left. Knight made two free throws and the Andies missed their final two shots.

“We didn’t play our best game,” said Livermore Falls coach Mark Simpson. “But you have to credit the job that Dirigo did on us defensively. Reggie has them playing good ball and I thought they substituted and made calls at the right times.”

In the third quarter, Paige Murphy (five points) buried a trey to tie the game 29-all. Dirigo started slow, but scored 13 of the first 15 points in the second quarter, including baskets by Ambyr Wilson and Kayla Gaudin. Alyssa Wade (seen points, three steals) banked in a trey at the buzzer to end the first half.

“Teams try using a box and one to try limiting Knight from scoring,” said Weston. “But we have other players and Angela stepped up tonight.”