The Bangor High School girls basketball team has played exceptional team defense all season long and added an impressive offensive component on Thursday afternoon.
The Rams shot 52.2 percent from the floor in the first half, including a 6 for 8 showing beyond the 3-point arc, and built a 33-9 halftime lead en route to a 54-26 victory over Windham in a Class AA contest at the Red Barry Gym in Bangor.
The Rams held the Eagles to a 2 for 15 showing from the floor in the first half while improving to 5-2.
Bangor has allowed an average of 31.9 points per game and has now given up 26 points in each of its last two games.
Windham is 3-3.
Six-foot junior center Abbie Quinn posted a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, sophomore guard Lily Chander scored nine points on three 3-pointers and junior point guard Emmie Streams contributed seven points, four steals, three assists and three rebounds.
Streams also did a tremendous job defensively on talented University of Maine-bound senior guard Sarah Talon as she held Talon to six points, 16 below her average. Talon, who was 2 for 12 from the floor, did haul down nine rebounds.
“Our goal was to shut Talon down and the rest will follow,” Streams said. “I picked her up pretty high because I’m shorter. Just bothering her when she got to the top of the key was good.”
Streams is “really fast and quick. She’s really talented,” Talon said. “Bangor was the better team today.”
“Our goal was to to put as much pressure as we could on Talon and force their other players to make plays,” said Bangor coach Jay Kemble. “And we did a great job defensively.”
“This was our best all-around game of the year,” Quinn said.
“Bangor executed very well and shot the ball very well and we didn’t do either of those things,” Windham coach Brody Artes said.
Kylie Garrison’s seven points and six apiece from Talon and Carly Morey paced the Eagles. Garrison also had three rebounds and two steals.
Bangor went on an 8-2 run to close out the first quarter and built a 15-7 lead.
Chandler and Cassidy Ireland hit back-to-back threes and Streams hit a runner before Morey scored from underneath for Windham.
The Rams outscored Windham 18-2 in the second quarter and didn’t allow a basket.
Quinn had seven points in the second period, Chandler hit a pair of threes and Laela Martinez had the other five points.
The Rams repeatedly got the ball inside to Quinn and she attacked the rim. Quinn drew a lot of attention and that opened up the outside game.
“One of our biggest strengths is our height. By getting it inside to Abbie, that opens up the wings and Lily [Chandler] shot really well,” Streams said.
Quinn said because the guards were able to get her the ball, “I was able to open myself up and make more moves which gave me more scoring opportunities.”
“Abbie was a beast underneath,” Kemble said. “She was a difference-maker. They had to take Talon off Streams to guard Abbie and that opened up the outside game.”
Martinez finished with six points, three rebounds and two steals. Ireland and Taylor Coombs had five points apiece. Coombs also had four rebounds and two assists while playing limited minutes due to foul trouble.
Bangor wound up shooting 46.5 percent from the floor (20 for 43) and 54.5 percent (6 for 11) from long distance.
Windham shot just 18.6 percent from the floor (8 for 43) and missed all 10 of its 3-point attempts.