BANGOR, Maine — Foxcroft Academy sophomore Nola Mason got in foul trouble in the second quarter and acknowledged that “I couldn’t really do much.”
But she made up for it in the second half, pouring in 12 of her game-high 16 points, hauling down nine rebounds and handing out two assists to lead the third-seeded Ponies to a 46-35 victory over second seed George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill in their Class C North semifinal at the Cross Insurance Center.
Foxcroft Academy is now 17-3 and winner of seven straight.
The Ponies will play the winner of the Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln and Caribou game in Saturday’s 7 p.m. final at the Cross Insurance Center.
GSA, making its first tournament appearance in Bangor since the 2016-17 season, finished up at 17-3 after having its eight-game winning streak snapped.
“I knew coming back that the girls needed me,” the 5-foot-8 Mason said about starting the second half. “I needed them so I just stepped up the best I could to help them out and they did an amazing job as well.”
She had a quiet quarterfinal in the 32-22 win over Calais and wanted to atone.
“It’s nice because my last game was difficult,” Mason said. “So I’m happy I was able to step up and fix it.”
Mason finished with 11 rebounds and two assists to go with her 16 points.
Senior Kassidy Lebel produced eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot. Junior Ali Cook and sophomore Maddie Muth also had eight points apiece and Muth had three rebounds.
George Stevens Academy received 11 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists from
Junior Taylor Grego. Junior Layla Hutchins had nine points, 10 rebounds and three blocks and sophomore Aurora Simmons chipped in with nine points, nine rebounds, three steals and three assists.
The Ponies spotted the Eagles a 7-2 advantage to start the game but rattled off a 15-1 run to take a lead they would never relinquish.
Muth had a pair of threes off Addie Day passes during the spurt. Day had three assists and a basket. Cook had a traditional 3-point play.
The Eagles put together a couple of spurts to pull within three in the first half but the Ponies always responded and took a 25-18 lead into the intermission.
The Ponies still led by seven after the third period but GSA used a 6-2 run to start the fourth quarter and pull within 37-33 with 3:17 remaining.
But Lebel fed Mason in the corner and Mason nailed a crucial 3-pointer that all but sewed up the win with 2:40 to go.
Cook’s fast-break layup, Lebel’s layup off a Mason pass and two Mason free throws extended the lead to 46-33 before a Simmons basket closed the book on the scoring.