AUGUSTA, Maine — The Bangor High School girls basketball team achieved its primary defensive goal Saturday afternoon — containing Lawrence of Fairfield star Nia Irving.
But the Rams didn’t have an answer for Dominique Lewis.
The diminutive junior guard hit five 3-pointers — including the go-ahead shot with 17 seconds remaining — as No. 2 Lawrence edged No. 1 Bangor 46-42 at the Augusta Civic Center to win the program’s first Eastern Maine Class A championship since the end of the Cindy Blodgett era in 1994.
“Nia’s an amazing player,” said Lewis of Irving, a junior forward who is the three-time KVAC Class A player of the year. “If they didn’t collapse on her they wouldn’t be here. But they were here and knew how to play us. I just needed to do my part and take my shots.”
Lawrence (20-1) advances to next Saturday’s state final against Thornton Academy of Saco, also in Augusta.
Bangor, bidding for its second regional crown in the last three years, ends its season at 19-2.
Lawrence built a 41-35 lead with 1:48 remaining in this rubber match of the season between the rivals, but 3-pointers by Bangor’s Katie Butler and Sarah Bragg rallied the Rams to a 42-42 tie with 35 seconds remaining.
Lewis responded on Lawrence’s next possession, taking a pass from Paige Belanger and burying her ninth long-range attempt of the game, this time from the right of the key.
“At that time it was really nerve-wracking and honestly I really wasn’t thinking that much,” said Lewis. “They had just made one to tie and we were coming down to the other end and they had left me open the last time and I hadn’t shot it, but this time the ball got reversed to me and I knew I had to shoot.
“We needed points, and time was ticking.”
Bangor’s Emily Gilmore hit the front of the rim on a subsequent 3-point bid from well beyond the top of the key, then Irving made the first of two free throws to make it a two-possession game with 5.2 seconds to play.
“We expected we’d have to let someone shoot if we were going to double on Nia all night,” said Bangor coach Joe Johnson. “It was a case of pick your poison and it got us tonight with the threes.”
Lewis finished with 16 points while Irving — who averaged 30.0 points in Lawrence’s first two tournament games — had 10 points and eight rebounds amid constant double- and triple-teaming from Bangor’s 2-3 zone defense.
Lawrence center Abby Weigang added eight points while reserve guard Morgan Boudreau contributed two 3-pointers and seven total points for the Bulldogs, who made 7 of their 15 attempts from beyond the arc.
“The way we were going to win this game was by our outside shooting,” said Lawrence coach John Donato. “When you’re the (KVAC) player of the year three years in a row they’re going to pack it in on you, but we won with our outside shots.”
Bragg, a junior guard, led Bangor with 14 points while senior forward Mary Butler had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists but managed just a 3-for-19 shooting effort while being guarded by Lawrence forward Paige Belanger, named winner of the Bob Whytock Award as the tourney’s top player-sportsperson.
Senior center Cordelia Stewart added nine points and six rebounds for the Rams.
