RICHMOND — There was plenty for Richmond High School girls basketball coach Mike Ladner to be please about Saturday afternoon when his team hosted undefeated St. Dominic’s Academy.

The Bobcats fell to 0-2, dropping a 47-37 decision to the 4-0 Saints. But, it was the way Richmond battled until the final horn that had Ladner excited about his team, which opens East-West Conference play on Thursday at Temple Academy (5:30 p.m.).

“I am very pleased and proud of the ladies, especially coming in having scouted these guys twice. I was nervous because they are a team that can really get up and down the floor,” said Ladner. “My girls gave an amazing effort. They have improved just from playing Old Orchard Beach last week.”

Down 12-3 with two minutes left in the first quarter, Richmond jumped up off the mat, going on a 10-1 run as

Bryanne Lancaster drained a pair of 3-pointers and Macy Carver went hard inside for two points, forging a 13-13 deadlock after a quarter.

“They put up a good fight, and they didn’t give up when we got up early. They kept themselves in it,” said St. Dom’s coach J.P. Yorkey, whose Saints visit Gray-New Gloucester on Friday at 7 p.m.

St. Dom’s led by as many as four points in the second quarter, only to see Carver and Lancaster score to keep the Bobcats close. In the third quarter, Richmond gained its biggest lead — 31-29 — on a putback by Kara Briand. The lead went back-and-forth three more times in the frame, with Becca Zimmerman putting her team ahead to stay with a 3-pointer.

“I didn’t expect them to come out and play us like this, and I think that is why we started out so slow today,” said Zimmerman, who led the Saints with 18 points, seven steals and four assists. “We had the size advantage, and I felt that allowed us to separate in the end.”

St. Dom’s started the contest with an 8-2 run, with Jessica Zimmerman, Hannah Kenney, Mia-Angelina Leslie and Skye Rogers each getting involved. However, fouls began hurting the Saints, with Leslie picking up her third, and Kenney, Becca Zimmerman and Rogers each earning two.

Lancaster started her team on the comeback trail with a trey. Carver scored inside, and after Becca Zimmerman made 1-of-2 at the free-throw line, Sophia Wells laid in a shot, followed by a three at the buzzer from Lancaster for a 13-13 tie.

“I think it defines how we are as a team. We are never going to stop battling. Teams over-look us after we lost our two leading scorers (Caitlin Kendrick, Hannah Moholland). Teams are not expecting us to bring anything to the table,” said Lancaster, who scored a game-high 19 points.

St. Dom’s led by three, 20-17, when Jessica Zimmerman hit two at the line. Once again, Lancaster, who tallied 13 first-half points, hit a 3-pointer, and for the second straight quarter, Richmond scored the tying basket at the buzzer when Carver beat the horn for a 24-24 halftime tie.

Leading 37-35 early in the fourth quarter, Becca Zimmerman took over. She canned a trey for a five-point lead, and picked up two straight steals, allowing the Saints to pull away. Rogers scored inside and made both of her free throws as St. Dom’s finished 14-of-18 at the charity stripe.

“We were able to settle down a bit defensively and get some stops, and Becca hit some shots that allowed us to get some separation,” said Yorkey.

Becca Zimmerman talked about her team.

“We are close. There is my sister, and I played AAU with the other three. I am so excited for my senior year. I am proud of us,” the senior said.

For Ladner and his Bobcats, he hopes the tough early schedule will lead to a solid run of victories.

“These games were a good test. I like that better than starting out easy. It will only get us better. We are battle-tested and ready to go,” Ladner said.

“I’m hoping these first two games show everyone on this team that we can play with anybody,” Lancaster added. “We are the smallest team in Class C and we just kept them biting at their nails for four quarters.”

The Saints finished 14-of-44 (31 percent) from the floor, with Kenney finishing with 10 points and two assists, and Rogers adding nine points. Leslie was a force on defense, blocking five shots, pulling in six rebounds and picking up four steals.

Carver chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds for Richmond, which shot 35 percent (14-of-39) from the field and made 5-of-11 at the charity stripe. Lancaster had six rebounds, with Wells and Paige Lebel each dishing out two assists.

 

 

 

 

 

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