AUGUSTA — No. 7 Messalonskee rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final 1:50 of regulation, then hit six free throws in overtime to stun No. 2 Lawrence, 46-42, in the Class A East girls’ basketball quarterfinals at Augusta Civic Center.
The Eagles (12-7) will face No. 3 Oxford Hills — a four-overtime survivor of Skowhegan — in Wednesday’s semifinals. KVAC champion Lawrence, which has won only two quarterfinal games since Cindy Blodgett’s storied career from 1991 to 1994, concluded its season at 16-3.
Delaney Collier and Kelsey Mayo each scored 11 points for Messalonskee and went a combined 5-for-6 from the line in OT. Mayo’s two free throws put the Eagles on top to stay at 42-40.
Lawrence had a chance to tie in the closing seconds, but Nia Irving’s shot fell shy of the mark and into Collier’s grasp. After a foul, with Messalonskee in the double bonus, Collier hit both free throws to seal it.
Irving finished with a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds. Paige Belanger added 13 points. The rest of the Lawrence team combined for only six points.
Taylor Easler, Mikayla Turner, Kassi Michaud and Sophia Holmes each hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to key the Messalonskee comeback.
Holmes pulled the Eagles within four at 36-32. After the missed front end of a one-and-one, Michaud hit hers on the next trip.
Dominique Lewis sank two free throws, but Easler’s trey with 1:03 left knotted it at 38, which was the score at the end of regulation.
Cold shooting plagued both teams through a first half that ended in a 10-10 deadlock. Lawrence was 4-for-18 and Messalonskee 4-for-13.
Cony 57, Brunswick 35
AUGUSTA — Emily Quirion scored 27 points, including a four-point play that pushed No. 4 Cony’s lead to double digits with 5:11 remaining in regulation in a 57-35 Class A East girls’ quarterfinal win over Brunswick.
Alyssah Dennett added 10 points for the Rams (13-6). Quirion and Dennett combined for six of Cony’s seven 3-pointers.
Cony, which reached the regional final as a No. 9 seed a year ago, advances to meet the Edward Little-Mt. Blue winner on Wednesday.
The Rams held modest leads of 22-19 at halftime and 32-27 at the end of the third quarter before Quirion erupted for 11 in the fourth.
She supplied the dagger with a fallaway jumper, tumbling into the Cony bench after the foul as the ball swished through the hoop.
Quirion pumped her fist in celebration, and after a timeout, she sank the free throw, as well.
Dennett and Haley Quirion followed with 3-pointers to put it away.
Anna Dimick led Brunswick (10-9) with 13 points. Lyse Henshaw added 11.
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