A bevy of Eddies traps Portland’s Amanda Kabantu during Friday night’s girls’ basketball game in Auburn. From left to right are Madisyn Turcotte, Brooklyn Alexander, Kabuntu, Caroline Hammond, and Jade Perry. (SUN JOURNAL PHOTO BY RUSS DILLINGHAM)
AUBURN — Edward Little has been in big games before, so they had an idea of how to handle a tough Portland squad Friday night.
The Red Eddies entered their Class AA South basketball showdown with Portland without starter Chantel Ouellette, putting even more of a burden on the rest of the team. Edward Little, though, still had guards Grace Fontaine and Hannah Chaput.
Chaput and Fontaine scored 39 of Edward Little’s 43 points as they helped the Eddies pull away from the Bulldogs 43-35 on Friday night.
“Give credit to those two girls,” Edward Little head coach Chris Cifelli said. “They knocked down a ton of shots. It’s one of our first games where I felt like we really played together well as a team. Kids were getting them open, they knew they had the hot hand so they were trying to set up some screens and find ways to be creative and get them looks. They fought through some tough defense to get some looks.”
Portland jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the first quarter. Amanda Kabantu led the fast-paced Bulldogs with six points in the quarter.
In the second, things flipped in the Eddies’ favor when Fontaine hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 20-17 with 1:35 remaining in the half.
“There was a little bit of, it’s a big moment playing Portland,” Cifelli said. “It was a great crowd and so there was some tension coming out, and coming off two losses I think we played a little bit conservative, but we settled in. There was a turning point, I think it was Fontaine’s 3 that got us on a mini-run to go through that stretch.”
Right around the time Fontaine drained her game-changing trey, the Bulldogs started a lenghty dry spell, going from the 2:30 mark in the second quarter to the 4:35 mark in the fourth without making a field goal.
The Eddies knew Portland would be playing fast, forcing turnovers and pushing the ball quickly up the court. Cifelli designed a defense to try to prevent it, and it worked.
“We didn’t have a game in a week, and knowing how uptempo Portland likes to keep the game, we spent a lot of time on defense,” Cifelli said. “It was really wonderful to see the kids translate the game plan so well.”
Fontaine and Chaput also helped defensively, as the Eddies held the Bulldogs to just five points in the third. They knew that without Ouellette, defense would be even more important.
“I was excited because we had been practicing and working for this team, creating defenses for this team because of their athleticism and just how fast they play the ball,” Fontaine said. “Our defense worked and we pulled through, even without Chantel. We’ve been working hard. Going in, it was scary because she is a starter, but girls stepped up.”
Late in the third, with EL leading 28-24, Kabantu went down with an ankle injury while bringing the ball past half-court. Portland head coach Gerry Corcoran said that it was an ankle injury that was aggravated again. It was a significant loss because Kabantu had 10 points up to that point.
“They have three tremendous guards,” Corcoran said. “They’re just an excellent basketball team. They’re well-disciplined, they move the ball well. … They made big shots and we can’t shoot.”
In the fourth, Chaput and Fontaine went back and forth, driving to the basket, making layups and hitting nearly all their free throws. Good ball movement and a couple of offensive rebounds from Jade Perry helped keep the offense moving.
“On the court we have really good chemistry,” Fontaine said. “We know where we shoot good, we know how to get each other open, and we work really well on the court.”
Davina Kabantu scored seven for the Bulldogs. Portland also received six points from Kiera Eubanks, who hit a three late to cut the lead to four. But the next time down had she jumper blocked by Chaput to seal the victory.
Jade Perry and Caroline Hammond scored two each for the Eddies.
Portland’s Davina Kabantu, left and Naulissa Tuza, right force a turnover by Edward Little’s Mikaela Scott during Friday night’s girls’ basketball game in Auburn. (SUN JOURNAL PHOTO BY RUSS DILLINGHAM)
Edward Little’s Grace Fontaine drives to the basket while being defended by Portland’s Elizabeth Yugu during Friday night’s girls’ basketball game in Auburn. (SUN JOURNAL PHOTO BY RUSS DILLINGHAM)
Edward Little’s Grace Fontaine, right, fouls Portland’s Amanda Kabantu during Friday night’s girls’ basketball game in Auburn. (SUN JOURNAL PHOTO BY RUSS DILLINGHAM)
Portland’s Kiera Eubanks blocks a shot by Edward Little’s Grace Fontaine during Friday night’s girls’ basketball game in Auburn. (SUN JOURNAL PHOTO BY RUSS DILLINGHAM)
Edward Little’s Jade Perry blocks a pass from Portland’s Kiera Eubanks during Friday night’s girls’ basketball game in Auburn. (SUN JOURNAL PHOTO BY RUSS DILLINGHAM)
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