AUGUSTA — Call this one Saved by the Horn, the Tournament Years.
Pushed to the brink of what would have been an unfathomable quarterfinal collapse, No. 1 Bangor used a Katie Butler free throw, a Mary Butler block and a Cordelia Stewart defensive rebound in the closing seconds to survive No. 8 Hampden, 41-40, in a Class A East girls’ basketball quarterfinal Friday night at Augusta Civic Center.
Stewart, who missed last season with a torn ACL in her left knee, scored 17 points and hauled down nine rebounds to lead Bangor (18-1). Courtney Dunton had a game-high 19 for Hampden (10-10), including all 15 of the Broncos’ points in the third quarter to trigger the rally.
Bangor takes on No. 4 Edward Little (15-4) in the semifinals at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The Rams led 38-21 with 1:40 left in the third quarter before Dunton punctuated the period with back-to-back buckets.
Those hoops triggered a 19-2 run. Freshman Braylee Wildman scored her only four points of the game in the fourth. Brooklynn Scott and Erica Martin each added their lone buckets of the night.
Erin Murphy, Hampden’s lone senior, knocked down consecutive 3-pointers, the second knotting it at 40 with under a minute to play.
Bangor worked the ball inside and drew a foul on Katie Butler, who missed the first free throw but made the second to notch her third point and restore the Rams’ lead.
Hampden elected to drain most of the remaining time before a slashing Murphy flagged down a pass into the paint. Bangor’s two 6-foot-1 stars collaborated to foil the Cinderella tale.
Bangor used an 11-0 run in a span of five minutes to take control of what was otherwise a sluggish first half.
Hampden took the early lead twice, first on Marissa Gilpin’s drive and again on Sophie Narofsky’s jumper to make it 9-8 with 2:29 left in the first quarter.
Sydni Cosgrove started the Rams’ surge modestly, sinking the second of two free throws to tie it. Sarah Bragg’s pull-up jumper put Bangor in front to stay, and Mary Butler hit from the right corner for a 13-9 lead after one.
Stewart and Emily Gilmore scored in succession to cap the half with a 23-11 cushion.
Hampden went 0-for-12 from the field from the second quarter and 4-of-23 in the half. Bangor turned it over only twice prior to intermission.
Quinn Wood scored all eight of her points in the third period, all from the perimeter, and Bangor appeared safely penciled into the semis.
koakes@sunjournal.com
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