AUGUSTA, Maine — Eighth-seed Gardiner had answers for a lot of what the top-ranked Messalonskee Eagles had to offer Friday night.
But the Tigers had no way to stop Sophie Holmes.
The senior guard scored 33 points, including 23 in the second half, as Messalonskee pulled away over the final eight minutes for a hard-fought 67-56 victory over Gardiner in their Class A North girls basketball quarterfinal at the Augusta Civic Center.
Messalonskee, the only North division girls team to finish the regular season undefeated and one of just three unbeaten teams left statewide — Gorham in Class AA South and Richmond in C South — is now 19-0 and will face No, 5 Hampden Academy in Wednesday’s regional semifinals.
Hampden (12-7) defeated Lawrence of Fairfield 46-39 in Friday night’s earlier quarterfinal.
Messalonskee defeated Hampden twice during the regular season, 59-36 at Oakland last Dec. 13 and 56-41 at Hampden on Jan. 20.
No. 8 Gardiner ended its season at 12-8.
Messalonskee led just 50-47 entering the fourth quarter before Holmes took offensive control, scoring her team’s first 10 points of the period in a variety of manners.
First there was a runner good for a three-point play, then a floater from the lane, another drive and a step-back 3-pointer.
Suddenly it was 60-49, and there was no more coming back for the upstart Tigers.
Holmes finished the night with a game-high 35 points, while teammate McKenna Brodeur added 17 and played a key rebounding role for coach Keith Derosby’s Eagles.
Lauren Chadwick paced Gardiner with 17 points while Mary Toman scored 10.
The upset-minded Tigers, who lost their only regular-season meeting with Messalonskee 64-41 on Feb. 2, hung within 28-24 at intermission thanks to an 11-point half from Chadwick and six more points from Toman.
Holmes scored eight points in the opening quarter as Messalonskee moved out to a 14-10 lead, and the Eagles’ advantage grew to as much as 28-21 late in the second quarter before a late 3-pointer by Chadwick made it a four-point contest at the break.
The game opened up offensively after intermission, with neither defense seemingly able to stop the opposing offense during much of the third quarter.
Messalonskee stretched its lead out to as much as 41-31 on a deep 3-pointer from the right wing by Holmes, only to have Gardiner go on a 9-2 run to pull within 43-40 on a layup by Aimee Adams with 3:22 left in the third.
Holmes answered with a sweet step-back 3-pointer from the left wing to highlight her 12-point quarter, but a jumper from the lane and a 3-pointer by Leslie Stevens rallied Gardiner within 50-47 entering the final period.
