Freeport’s first attempted shot was swatted out of bounds by Lake Region’s Tiana-Jo Carter.

This set the tone for what proved to be a long night as the eighth-seeded Falcons fell to the top-seeded Lakers 65-29 at the Portland Expo on Tuesday in the Western Maine Class B girls high school quarterfinals.

“It was part of our gameplan to attack inside and try to get her into foul trouble, but she does a great job and is a very imposing player,” said Freeport (13-7) coach Jim Seavey of Carter after watching the Lake Region senior dominate the paint to the tune of 13 rebounds and nine blocked shots. “Even when you are going at her, you are still falling away while shooting the ball. She is going to block shots and it is just a part of her game. We just didn’t react to it. The paint was her house and nobody was coming in there.”

Carter’s main job was to contain Freeport top scorer Nina Davenport, who scored 11 points but was constantly pressured into tough shots by the 6-2 center.

“I was actually really scared when coach told me I was going to guard her,” said Carter of her assignment after missing the Lakers’ last meeting with Freeport, a 48- 32 Falcons victory. “She does such a great job driving to the hoop, and I just had to play my game and move my feet a lot.”

Big deficit

Behind Carter and forward Kelsey Winslow, Lake Region scored 14 of its 15 first-quarter points in the paint. The Lakers led 13-0 before an Aubrey Pennell 3-pointer got the Falcons on the board with 2:30 left in the frame. Carter had eight points and Winslow seven as the Lakers took a 15- 7 lead to the second quarter.

A three-point play by Freeport freshman Jessica Wall made for a 17-10 contest with 7:25 left until halftime, but the Lakers used a 9-0 run to take firm control. Lake Region led 30-12 at the half as Freeport shot just 15 percent (four of 26) from the floor. Winslow and Carter combined for 21 first-half points, with four each coming from Sarah Hancock and Sydney Hancock.

Pennell’s fourth foul early in the third quarter sent the Freeport point guard to the bench, and Lake Region turned up its pressure defense, forcing eight turnovers and claiming a 44- 20 lead after 24 minutes. A 21- 9 fourth-quarter scoring advantage completed the Lake Region victory.

Winslow and Carter each scored 17 points, with Sydney Hancock adding 10 points. Winslow had eight rebounds as the 17-2 Lakers, who take on No. 5 Greely (a 42-27 victor over Leavitt) in the Western C semifinals on Thursday, owned a 36-16 advantage on the glass. Lake Region finished 16 of 26 at the foul line.

Despite the loss, Seavey was proud of his team’s accomplishments this season, his first on the Freeport bench.

“I just told the kids that you can’t let tonight ruin the season you just had,” said Seavey after Freeport’s first appearance in the Western D quarterfinals at the Expo. “We lost to a very good basketball team with a lot of tournament experience. A day or two from now, they will look back on this and realize they did a lot of great things.”

And his seniors?

“Aubrey was the heart and soul of this team and that set the tone,” said Seavey. “Leigh Wyman and Hannah Chase knew their careers were coming to an end and let the emotions flow on the bench. Jocelyn Davee had a great year for us. We may not win the prelim game against Maranacook without Jocelyn. And, Naomi Otis worked her butt off every day and showed up every day, giving her all. I am so proud of those seniors. We won our last six games and a prelim to get us here. My hats off to them.”

Davenport dished out three assists and had three steals, while Wyman picked up three steals. The Falcons finished 11 of 56 from the floor (19 percent) and five of 11 at the charity stripe.

Lake Region 65, Freeport 29

Western Maine Class B
Girls Quarterfinals
At the Portland Expo
Freeport— 7589—29
Lake Region — 15 15 14 21 — 65
No. 8 Freeport — Nina Davenport 4-3-11,
Leigh Wyman 1-0-2, Jocelyn Davee 0-0-0,
Aubrey Pennell 1-0-3, Ashley Richardson
1-0-2, Hannah Chase 0-0-0, Venessa Lee
1-0-2, Jessica Wall 1-1-3, Mackenzie Ackley 0-0-0, Naomi Otis 0-0-0, Livvy Dimick
1-0-3, Kayla Belanger 0-1-1, Lauren
Cormier 1-0-2. Totals — 11-5-29.
No. 1 Lake Region — Kelsey Winslow 6-
5-17, Sarah Hancock 1-2-4, Tiana Jo-
Carter 7-3-17, Sierra Hancock 2-2-6, Sydney Hancock 3-3-10, Miranda Chadbourne 1-0-3, Savannah Devoe 1-1-3,
Kayleigh Lepage 1-0-2, Kate Cutting 0-0-
0, Spencer True 0-0-0, Lucy Fowler 0-0-0,
Meghan VanLoan 0-0-0, Kari Eldridge 1-
0-3. Totals — 23-16-65.
3-pointers — (F) Pennell, Dimick; (LR)
Sydney Hancock, Chadbourne, Eldridge.
Records — Lake Region 17-2, Freeport
13-7.
Next — The Lakers take on Greely on
Thursday in the Western B semifinals,
while Freeport’s season is completed.