GORHAM – The Windham High School girls basketball team improved to 13-4 on the season after taking down the Gorham Rams (7-10) in Gorham on Tuesday night, 51-43. The Eagles were led by Meghan Gribbin, who scored a game-high 25 points, out dueling the Rams’ Kristin Ross, who added 23 of her own.
Entering Tuesday night’s contest, the Eagles and Rams were heading in opposite directions. The Eagles entered having won three in a row, while the Rams entered losers of three straight. While both teams entered at full strength, at times it seemed as though it was a one-on-one showdown between Gribbin and Ross.
Ross, a dominating junior forward, scored 10 of her team’s 12 points in the first quarter to help the Rams stay nipping at the heels of the Eagles, who scored 14.
The Eagles managed to slow down Ross and the Rams in the second quarter as Ross only managed two points in the quarter. The Eagles matched their first quarter total of 14 to stretch their lead to 28-18 at the end of the first half.
When both teams retook the court, the game’s physicality picked up, especially on the boards, with both teams struggling to shoot from the floor.
While Ross was able to once again pace her team, scoring six of her team’s 10 points in the quarter, Gribbin was stifled on the offensive end.
The Rams began to key in on Gribbin, and as a result she was unable to drive into the paint as she had done throughout the first half, as she found herself double-teamed.
Although Gribbin managed to fight her way through the Rams’ aggressive defense, it came at a price.
“The refs definitely let the girls play,” said Eagle coach Jessie Cummings, “which isn’t always a bad thing.”
“I told the girls to keep their composure and let me speak to the refs when things might not be going our way,” Cummings added. “I have a mature group and they kept their heads on their shoulders and didn’t let it rattle them.”
The Eagles might not have let the Rams and the referees rattle them emotionally, but physically it was a different story. With the Rams focusing directly on Gribbin, it appeared as though their goal was to make it as difficult as possible for her to control the offensive tempo.
Midway through the third quarter that physicality led to Gribbin suffering a foot injury that momentarily forced her to leave the game. Gribbin sat for no more than a minute before flexing her injured foot and retaking the court.
Despite the Eagles’ struggles in the third quarter, they were able to take a nine-point, 37-28, lead into the final eight minutes.
At the start of the fourth, the Eagles appeared poised to close the door on Gorham as they stretched their lead to 14 with less than four minutes to play. When all seemed lost for the Rams, the game’s momentum turned in their favor after Abby Hamilton knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner to pull her team within 11.
After Hamilton’s 3, the Eagles got cold from the field and started to commit unforced errors.
“We’ve got to learn when we get a lead to keep it,” said Cummings. “I think sometimes we play a little lackadaisical. Sometimes it just takes a little wake up call. Hamilton hit that 3 and then they got a quick steal and a couple of free throws. I think it woke the girls back up. I have five seniors and sometimes it just takes a little wake up call for them. We’ve lost leads before, but they have always kind of pulled through in the end.”
Ross had a chance to pull her team to as close as five with under two minutes to play in the game as she found herself at the line for one-and-one opportunity. Ross would miss the free throw attempt, allowing the Eagles to regain their bearings and knock down clutch free throws down the stretch to close out the win.
The Eagles will close out the regular season against the Bonny Eagle Scots at home on Friday while the Rams will look to finish the season on the winning track against Westbrook.
Gorham’s Kristin Ross jostles with Lonnie Staten, left, and
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