PORTLAND—One week after a palpitating double-overtime victory kept its season alive, the Falmouth girls’ basketball team bowed out of the 2010 Western Class B tournament, falling victim to a team that so far, is simply perfect.

Falmouth hung tough with top-ranked, defending regional champion York for a half, but ultimately had no answers for Wildcats sophomore standout Nikki Taylor or her teammates’ shooting acumen and fell 40-20 at the Portland Exposition Building, finishing 11-9.

The Yachtsmen were within two points early in the third period before York went on a 17-0 run to put the game away and make Falmouth wait til’ next year.

“We’re very young,” said Yachtsmen coach Kristi Ouellette. “I think playing on such a big floor is huge for these girls. I’m proud they executed a game plan like they did in the first half. We were very disciplined. We had leadership on the floor and showed the ability to step up against a tough team.”

Not a charm

Falmouth dropped its two regular season meetings with York, (55-30 in York Jan. 14 and 61-37 at home Feb. 2). The Wildcats also eliminated the Yachtsmen from the playoffs a year ago in the semifinals, 47-37.

Tuesday, Falmouth came out with nothing to lose and played that way early, while York was a little tight.

One minute, 44 seconds in, sophomore Jenna Serunian scored on a putback for a 2-0 Yachtsmen lead, but Taylor was fouled after a steal and made both free throws to tie it. Taylor followed with a bank shot in traffic, then made a layup after a steal, but the Wildcats wouldn’t score the rest of the first.

With 2:24 to go in the period, senior Anna Keeler made a free throw for the Yachtsmen. With 1:31 left, junior Jess DiPhillippo hit a foul shot and Falmouth was within two, 6-4, after one quarter.

Seven turnovers prevented the Yachtsmen from holding the lead.

Falmouth stayed close in the second period.

Fifty-eight seconds in, Keeler tied the score with a layup. After a jumper from junior Stephanie Gallagher (York’s first non-Taylor points in the first half), freshman Kylie Libby tied it again with a leaner at the 4:23 mark.

This time, the Yachtsmen wouldn’t score the rest of the quarter.

With 3:10 to go, Taylor put the Wildcats ahead to stay with a layup. With 43.2 seconds left, Taylor made a jumper. Then, in a big twist of momentum, York freshman Marquis MacGlashing stole the ball and raced in for a layup with 3.2 seconds on the clock to make it 14-8 Wildcats at the break.

York would break it open in the latter part of the third period.

A short jumper from Falmouth sophomore Laney Evers early in the quarter ended a 5 minute, 37 second drought. Keeler followed with a pair of free throws to make it 14-12. Both DiPhillippo and Keeler then had good looks to tie the game, but couldn’t convert. At the other end, a MacGlashing putback made it 16-12. Gallagher followed with a layup and Taylor made a putback for a 20-12 advantage.

Ouellette tried to stem the tide with a timeout, but the Yachtsmen promptly turned the ball over and at the other end, junior Chelsea Morley canned a dagger of a 3-ball. After another turnover, Taylor hit a jumper, giving the Wildcats some breathing room. With time about to expire in the third, Taylor picked up a loose ball and banked it home for a 27-12 lead heading for the fourth.

Falmouth went the last 5:44 without a point and gave the ball away six times. Through 24 minutes, it made just four field goals and four free throws.

In the final stanza, Gallagher made a jumper and Taylor hit a layup after a steal before a layup from Serunian ended the 17-0 York burst and a 6:35 drought. MacGlashing and sophomore Nicole Rogers traded putbacks before Morley hit a 3-ball for the first 20-point lead, 36-16. The Yachtsmen got no closer than 18 the rest of the way and saw their season come to an end with a 40-20 defeat.

In the end, Taylor (18 points) was the difference.

“Everybody on the floor needed to know where Taylor was,” said Ouellette. “She’s such a huge factor in a game like this. We wanted to limited her touches. We had them take the shots we wanted them to take, but she got the rebounds.”

Falmouth was led in scoring by Keeler, who capped a solid senior year with five points. Rogers and Serunian both had four, Doyle, Evers and Libby all finished with two and DiPhillippo had one. The Yachtsmen turned the ball over 20 times and made 6-of-13 from the stripe.

For York, Gallagher, MacGlashing and Morley each added six points and senior Elizabeth Cartier and freshman Emily Campbell finished with two. The Wildcats had 11 turnovers (four of which came with reserves on the floor) and shot just 2-of-5 from the line.

York advanced to meet No. 4 Lake Region in Thursday’s semifinals.

The Yachtsmen, meanwhile, have an awful lot to look forward to. Keeler and Katie McCarthy are the only departing players who saw a lot of time on the floor. In fact, 75 percent of Falmouth’s scoring Tuesday night will be back next winter when Falmouth should be near the top of the heap.

“I’m really forward to looking forward to working with them this summer,” Ouellette said. “I think we have a lot of potential. The girls got a good tournament experience which I hope will carry over. We knew we could do it as a team. The girls wanted to do it.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net

PORTLAND—One week after a palpitating double-overtime victory kept its season alive, the Falmouth girls’ basketball team bowed out of the 2010 Western Class B tournament, falling victim to a team that so far, is simply perfect.

Falmouth hung tough with top-ranked, defending regional champion York for a half, but ultimately had no answers for Wildcats sophomore standout Nikki Taylor or her teammates’ shooting acumen and fell 40-20 at the Portland Exposition Building, finishing 11-9.

The Yachtsmen were within two points early in the third period before York went on a 17-0 run to put the game away and make Falmouth wait til’ next year.

“We’re very young,” said Yachtsmen coach Kristi Ouellette. “I think playing on such a big floor is huge for these girls. I’m proud they executed a game plan like they did in the first half. We were very disciplined. We had leadership on the floor and showed the ability to step up against a tough team.”

Third time not a charm

Falmouth dropped its two regular season meetings with York, (55-30 in York Jan. 14 and 61-37 at home Feb. 2). The Wildcats also eliminated the Yachtsmen from the playoffs a year ago in the semifinals, 47-37.

Tuesday, Falmouth came out with nothing to lose and played that way early, while York was a little tight.

One minute, 44 seconds in, sophomore Jenna Serunian scored on a putback for a 2-0 Yachtsmen lead, but Taylor was fouled after a steal and made both free throws to tie it. Taylor followed with a bank shot in traffic, then made a layup after a steal, but the Wildcats wouldn’t score the rest of the first.

With 2:24 to go in the period, senior Anna Keeler made a free throw for the Yachtsmen. With 1:31 left, junior Jess DiPhillippo hit a foul shot and Falmouth was within two, 6-4, after one quarter.

Seven turnovers prevented the Yachtsmen from holding the lead.

Falmouth stayed close in the second period.

Fifty-eight seconds in, Keeler tied the score with a layup. After a jumper from junior Stephanie Gallagher (York’s first non-Taylor points in the first half), freshman Kylie Libby tied it again with a leaner at the 4:23 mark.

This time, the Yachtsmen wouldn’t score the rest of the quarter.

With 3:10 to go, Taylor put the Wildcats ahead to stay with a layup. With 43.2 seconds left, Taylor made a jumper. Then, in a big twist of momentum, York freshman Marquis MacGlashing stole the ball and raced in for a layup with 3.2 seconds on the clock to make it 14-8 Wildcats at the break.

York would break it open in the latter part of the third period.

A short jumper from Falmouth sophomore Laney Evers early in the quarter ended a 5 minute, 37 second drought. Keeler followed with a pair of free throws to make it 14-12. Both DiPhillippo and Keeler then had good looks to tie the game, but couldn’t convert. At the other end, a MacGlashing putback made it 16-12. Gallagher followed with a layup and Taylor made a putback for a 20-12 advantage.

Ouellette tried to stem the tide with a timeout, but the Yachtsmen promptly turned the ball over and at the other end, junior Chelsea Morley canned a dagger of a 3-ball and after another turnover, Taylor hit a jumper, giving the Wildcats some breathing room. With time about to expire in the third, Taylor picked up a loose ball and banked it home for a 27-12 lead heading for the fourth.

Falmouth went the last 5:44 without a point and gave the ball away six times. Through 24 minutes, it made just four field goals and four free throws.

In the final stanza, Gallagher made a jumper and Taylor hit a layup after a steal before a layup from Serunian ended the 17-0 York burst and a 6:35 drought. MacGlashing and sophomore Nicole Rogers traded putbacks before Morley hit a 3-ball for the first 20-point lead, 36-16. The Yachtsmen got no closer than 18 the rest of the way and saw their season come to an end with a 40-20 defeat.

In the end, Taylor (18 points) was the difference.

“Everybody on the floor needed to know where Taylor was,” said Ouellette. “She’s such a huge factor in a game like this. We wanted to limited her touches. We had them take the shots we wanted them to take, but she got the rebounds.”

Falmouth was led in scoring by Keeler, who capped a solid senior year with five points. Rogers and Serunian both had four, Doyle, Evers and Libby all finished with two and DiPhillippo had one. The Yachtsmen turned the ball over 20 times and made 6-of-13 from the stripe.

For York, Gallagher, MacGlashing and Morley each added six points and senior Elizabeth Cartier and freshman Emily Campbell finished with two. The Wildcats had 11 turnovers (four of which came with reserves on the floor) and shot just 2-of-5 from the line.

York advanced to meet No. 4 Lake Region in Thursday’s semifinals.

The Yachtsmen have an awful lot to look forward to. Keeler and Katie McCarthy are the only departing players who saw a lot of time on the floor. In fact, 75 percent of Falmouth’s scoring Tuesday night will be back next winter when Falmouth should be near the top of the heap.

“I’m really forward to looking forward to working with them this summer,” Ouellette said. “I think we have a lot of potential. The girls got a good tournament experience which I hope will carry over. We knew we could do it as a team. The girls wanted to do it.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net

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