LEWISTON — Edward Little’s and Lewiston’s girls basketball matchup was a tale of two halves.
Shots didn’t fall for either team in the opening half and each team had mini-runs when the baskets started to drain in the second half. The Blue Devils (8-10) hit their free throws late in the fourth quarter and earned a 48-38 victory.
“To start the second half we played a little more under control,” Lewiston coach Craig Jipson said. “Natalie (Beaudoin) hit some big 3s and Ellie Legare hit a huge 3. Natalie made some be free throws down the stretch.”
Beaudoin had 17 points for the Blue Devils.
“I wouldn’t have had the opportunities if it wasn’t for my teammates,” Beaudoin said.
Edward Little coach Chris Cifelli said the Red Eddies had their chances throughout the game but just couldn’t get in a rhythm.
“(The game) was a bunch of mini-runs and no one could separate,” Cifelli said. “I think it was hard to get in a flow of anything, but I was pleased with how we locked down defensively.”
At the start of the second half, the game was tied 17-17. Lewiston hit back-to-back 3-pointers, by Legare and Koral Morin, and Beaudoin hit two free throws to stretch the lead to 25-17.
The Red Eddies (2-16) went on a run of their own with two free throws Layla Facchiano, a baby hook shot by Erin Cowie in the low post, and then a free throw by Cowie to cut the deficit to 25-22.
Facchiano had 22 points in the game.
“Layla just has a high motor,” Cifelli said. “She’s constantly going and when she’s scoring, she’s such a threat for us. Defensively she causes so much havoc. She had a ton of deflections, steals, and we are excited about the upside she’s got.”
Beaudoin’s bucket and a free throw sent Lewiston into the fourth quarter with a 28-22 advantage.
Then Legere hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter that give Lewiston a 31-22 lead.
Facchiano and Jenny Chaput scored the next five points for Edward Little, cutting the deficit to 31-27.
Chaput finished the game with seven points.
“I knew (Lewiston had some foul trouble, and the last few games, I would have liked Jenny get a few more touches on the ball,” Cifelli said. “She made the most of it (tonight) and kept us close.”
The teams began trading baskets, including a 3-pointer from Legere that made it 39-31 Lewiston, and the Blue Devils extended their lead 43-32.
Legare finished with 14 points.
Edward Little chipped away again. Facchiano hit a free throw, then the Blue Devils turned the ball over and Rachel Penny knocked down a 3-pointer and Lewiston’s lead was down to 43-36.
After a timeout, Lewiston was called for its second five-second violation of the game. The next possession, Chaput scored to put the Red Eddies within five points.
“We’ve got to work on that and we got to get better,” Jipson said of the violations.
That was the Red Eddies’ final basket. Beaudoin hit three free throws and Kaura Lawrence’s two-pointer sealed the deal in the final minute.
“It was a little bit of a struggle, we had a lot of fouls, but we really pulled it together at the end,” Beaudoin said.
To celebrate Lewiston’s senior night, Lewiston started Ashlyn Jean, who hadn’t played all season because of an ankle injury. Both coaches agreed prior to the game to allow Lewiston to win the opening tip and the ball worked its way to Jean, who put in a layup to give Lewiston a 2-0 lead. She was immediately taken out of the game after and Lewiston allowed Edward Little to score a 2-pointer in the next possession.
“Edward Little was so classy about it,” Jipson said. “Coach Cifelli had no problem having her get a basket and it was absolute class.”
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