Avery Sevigny shoots at the basket past Boothbay’s Madison Faulkingham during Monday evening’s basketball game in Rumford. Boothbay’s Haley Abbott watches the play from left. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
RUMFORD — Rylee Sevigny hit a 3-pointer 3:40 into the game and Mountain Valley was on its way to a 55-29 victory over Boothbay at Puiia Gymnasium in an MVC girls basketball game Monday.
The offenses were quiet early, overshadowed by turnovers — both of the forced and unforced varieties. The scored was tied 2-2 when Mountain Valley coach Craig Milledge called a timeout 2:48 into the game. The Falcons (2-0) then stopped fouling 6-foot-2 Seahawks forward Glory Blethen and started hitting shots at the other end.
“We never want to put other teams at the line, whether that’s in the bonus or shooting fouls. So by keeping our hands off her, making her work hard to establish position and get low, that really helped us to stay out of foul trouble,” Milledge said.
Blethen drew three early fouls and made 2 of 4 free throws. That was all the scoring she or the Seahawks produced the rest of the first quarter.
The Falcons, meanwhile, kept shooting and started making. Sevigny’s 3 was followed by a steal and a Saydie Garbarini layup. Kierstyn Lyons later hit a 3, and after the Seahawks threw the ball away Boothbay coach Brian Blethen called a timeout with his team down 14-2.
“With a younger lineup that we had tonight — we had three starters that didn’t come up today (due to illness) — so, yeah, for our young kids new to the program it’s a tough thing to play against (Mountain Valley’s defense),” Blethen said.
“So they’re already sort of out rhythm with the younger group on the floor,” Blethen added, “and so it’s hard to kind of get grounded, and get settled in, and get that rhythm, especially the way Mountain Valley plays that good pressure defense. So yeah, they definitely took us out our rhythm and kept us out of it most of the evening.”
Sevigny said the 14-2 lead her team took into the second quarter was a bit of a surprise.
“We felt good, but it was honestly surprising because they’ve kicked our butts the past few years, so it felt really good,” she said. “But we knew we couldn’t let up.”
Mountain Valley’s Kierstyn Lyons goes up for a basket against Boothbay’s Haley Abbott during Monday evening’s basketball game in Rumford. Andree Kehn Buy this Photo
The Falcons didn’t.
Sevigny drained a 3 from four feet beyond the 3-point line on Mountain Valley’s first possession of the second quarter. Avery Sevigny later hit a 3 of her own to give the Falcons a 22-2 lead.
“Our 3s have not been falling at all lately. Like I think I’ve made one the rest of the season, so this was a real confidence booster for me and my team,” Rylee Sevigny said.
Blethen made a layup with 4:19 left in the half to give the Seahawks their first basket of the game. Blethen made two more baskets in the quarter and accounted for all nine of Boothbay’s points in the first half.
“I thought she made some nice cuts to the basket that she was able to get open, but it was just too hurried where she couldn’t quite settle in and make a good, strong post move,” Brian Blethen said.
Milledge credited Garbarini with doing the bulk of the defensive work against Blethen, but also said, “There’s no question it’s a team effort.”
Mountain Valley’s Rylee Sevigny passes the ball to a teammate past Boothbay’s Madison Faulkingham and Glory Blethen during Monday evening’s basketball game in Rumford. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal Buy this Photo
Boothbay’s first non-Blethen points came on a corner jumper by Maddy Faulkingham 1:20 into the third quarter, but by that point the Seahawks were down 26-11. The lead was 37-17 after three quarters, as Rylee Sevigny made two more 3s and Avery another.
Rylee Sevigny finished with a game-high 19 points, including five 3s, and Lyons added 11 on the back of a trio of 3s. Avery Sevigny also hit three shots from behind the line for her nine points, while Garbarini’s eight all came inside the arc.
Blethen paced Boothbay with 14 points. Faulkingham added seven.
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