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HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL: Depth helps Eagles top Indians

By Matt DiFilippo mdifilippo@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

SKOWHEGAN -- For a couple years now, the Messalonskee girls have been looking for other players to score besides Mary Badeen and Megan Pelletier.

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GIVE ME: Messalon-skee High School’s Kassi Michaud, right, battles for the ball with Skowhegan Area High School’s Natasha Thompson in the second quarter Friday night in Skowhegan.

Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

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BATTED AWAY: Skowhegan Area High School’s Amanda Johnson, right, gets a hand on the ball as she defends Messalonskee High School’s Nicole Collier in the first quarter Friday night in Skowhegan.

Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

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The Eagles found one earlier this season in sophomore Kassi Michaud and, on Friday night against Skowhegan, Messalonskee had a whole team of players contributing. This opened things up for Badeen and Pelletier, who combined for 39 points as Messalonskee rolled to a 62-42 girls basketball victory.

"I know (Mary and Megan) still get a lot of focus," Messalonskee coach Keith Derosby said. "We're still seeing doubles, and we're still being face-guarded. But with other kids able to capitalize on that, it really makes it easy on them."

Badeen had 22 points, hit three 3-pointers, and shot 6 for 11 from the floor. Pelletier added 17 points and pulled down 20 rebounds.

"We're just growing more as a team," said Pelletier, who hopes to play at the University of Southern Maine next season. "And we're understanding that we all have the same goal. In the end, that's what's going to matter."

Skowhegan (10-6), which defeated the Eagles in Oakland earlier this season, hung with Messalonskee (12-4) for three quarters. Messalonskee led 19-15 at the end of the first quarter, and extended that lead to 31-24 by halftime.

The second quarter was crucial, as two Eagles starters -- Michaud (11 points) and Mikayla Turner (seven rebounds) -- sat out the entire quarter with two fouls. With players like Sara Grenier, Kelsey Mayo, Rachael Wacome and Emily York playing so well off the bench, Derosby was never in a position where he had to rush Michaud and Turner back into the game.

"We took some liberties early in the season to get more kids ready, knowing that you never know when you're going to need that depth," Derosby said. "Every day in practice, there's no starters, there's no subs, just 11 kids working hard every day to get those minutes. They learn, and it showed in games like tonight."

Even with Pelletier's 20 rebounds and Messalonskee winning by 20, Skowhegan still had 14 more field goal attempts. But while the Eagles shot 39 percent from the floor, Skowhegan shot 26 percent, including 1-for-17 from three-point range.

"We're struggling to put the ball in the basket right now," Skowhegan coach Heath Cowan said. "We shoot the ball at a higher percentage in practice. We've got to find a way to get that practice game out onto the floor when it counts. I think you've got to experience some success on the floor, and when you do that, it'll turn around."

Amanda Johnson led the Indians with 14 points. Skowhegan was within 38-28 with 3:40 left in the third quarter when Adriana Martineau had to sit with her fourth foul. Martineau had been doing a nice job defensively on Pelletier, and Pelletier would go on to grab 14 rebounds in the second half alone.

Matt DiFilippo -- 861-9243

mdifilippo@mainetoday.com