AA North girls' quarterfinal: Deering rallies past Lewiston

AUGUSTA — What seemed like a harmless 3-pointer to end the first half might have been a game-changer.

Tasia Titherington swished in a trey to beat the halftime buzzer, and thanks to a third-quarter rally, her Deering Rams team beat Lewiston 51-47 in a Class AA North girls’ basketball quarterfinal at Augusta Civic Center on Thursday.

“Tasia’s a shooter,” Deering coach Michael Murphy said. “That obviously helped us just to psychologically cut it to a six-point game.”

The sixth-seeded Blue Devils (9-10) led 25-16 with the clock winding down in the second quarter. Titherington had just three points to her name at that point, but she doubled that with her triple.

“I thought we were out on her, on her shots, except for that one,” Lewiston coach Lynn Girouard said. “And that probably did get her started.”

Titherington completed a three-point play with 2:49 left in the third quarter to give the No. 3 Rams (12-7) a 28-25 advantage — their first lead since early in the second quarter. That stretched Deering’s run to 12-0.

Ashleigh Mathisen, Delaney Haines and Victoria Garand also scored in the third for Deering.

“The kids have gigantic hearts,” Murphy said. “They just give you that second, third and fourth effort that you need.”

Who didn’t score in the quarter for the Blue Devils was Victoria Harris, who finished with a game-high 19 points. She scored eight in the first half, but a third foul midway through the third with Lewiston up 25-21 sent her to the bench.

“When we take her out when she’s in foul trouble, defensively it hurts us a little bit because she is so effective defensively and rebounding,” Girouard said.

Garand hit a pair of free throws after that to cut the Deering deficit to two. The Rams’ sophomore forward helped put Harris — who picked up all five of her fouls in the second half — into foul trouble.

“Harris is a load, great player, and she’s tough to handle,” Murphy said. “Keeping her off the floor was a blessing for us.”

The Rams led 32-29 after three quarters, and they made sure to not let the Blue Devils take the lead back.

Titherington had a lot to do with that, going 8 for 8 from the free-throw line in the fourth to finish with a team-high 17 points.

Abi Ramirez made both of hers, as did Garand, and the Rams only missed one free throw as a team in final period.

“They knocked down their foul shots at the end,” Girouard said.

Lewiston’s last stand came on a Harris three-point play with 28.3 seconds left to cut the deficit to 49-47. She fouled out four seconds later. Titherington hit both foul shots to make it a two-possession game, and the Blue Devils couldn’t find a good shot to get back into it.

Garand and Haines both scored 10 points for the Rams, and Ramirez added eight.

Senior Skylar Gaudette hit a pair of first-half 3s and finished with eight points for Lewiston. Freshman Hannah Chaput equaled that total, with five of those eight coming in the fourth quarter.

Deering moves on to the semifinal round, where it will face No. 2 Edward Little.

Lewiston won’t get that chance to face its rival, but with Harris only a junior and freshmen Chaput, Maddie Foster (four points), Cece Racine and others also returning, Girouard said “the future is pretty bright for Lewiston basketball.”

wkramlich@sunjournal.com

As Lewiston’s Hannah Chaput watches, teammate Victoria Harris tries to get the rebound over Deering’s Katasia Titherington.

Lewiston’s Hannah Chaput drives to the basket against Deering’s Katasia Titherington.

Lewiston’s Hannah Chaput gets by Deering’s Ashleigh Mathisen’s defense.

Left to right, Lewiston’s Cecelia Racine and Kasey Talarico, along with Deering’s Katasia Titherington and Abi Ramirez, try to come down with a rebound.

Deering’s Katasia Titherington and Abi Ramirez attempt to strip the ball from Lewiston’s Hannah Chaput.

Lewiston’s Maddy Foster gets around Deering’s Ashleigh Mathisen.

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