KITTERY — In any sport, the playoffs can bring out the most aggressive of attitudes in any player.

In the Western Maine Class C Preliminary game between Old Orchard Beach and Traip Academy Tuesday night, it brought out the professional wrestler in each player.

Both teams took turns throughout the evening fighting for loose balls, battling underneath the boards for rebounds sandwiched around the occasional loud thump of a player knocking against the hardwood floor.

At the end of the 32-minute cage match, it was Traip Academy that came away with a 50-36 win.

With the loss, Old Orchard finished its season with a 10-9 record.

The game was the third on the season between the Rangers and the Seagulls. Old Orchard pulled out a 49-48 victory on Dec. 11 before Traip retaliated with a 49-31 win on Jan.14.

Old Orchard head coach Casie Buffum said the team knew Traip would come out with its aggressive style of play.

“We know that’s Traip,” Buffum said. “That’s Traip, and that’s their game. We knew they were going to throw pressure on us, and they never let up the pressure. Fullcourt, halfcourt, you show them the ball, they take it. It’s nonstop, and we knew that coming in. I didn’t handle pressure as well as I wanted to, but when it gets physical, you do what you can do.”

Traip showcased its playing style early, picking the ball out of the hands of Old Orchard players and running a fast break offense to set up layups. The strategy worked for the Rangers, who went to the locker room at halftime with a 28-17 lead.

The Seagulls did a better job in the second half of matching the Rangers’ physical style, particulary rebounding underneath the basket. However, Traip’s lead was too much to overcome.

Seagulls guard Annabelle Frenette led the team with 12 points, seven coming from the free-throw line.

Gillian Foss and Molly Anderson each chipped in with eight points, and rebounded well. Foss pulled down nine rebounds while Anderson grabbed seven.

It was the final game for three Seagulls players, Frenette, Anderson and point guard Randi Gribbin, who scored three points.

Buffum said she was impressed with the growth of both Anderson and Gribbin during the past few years.

“We had Molly, who hasn’t even played basketball until she was a sophomore,” Buffum said. “Just the growth that we had seen from her was incredible. Randi, she was our point guard, she really didn’t start seeing varsity minutes until this year. She missed a couple of games and we missed her, because she’s the primary reason we get the ball up the court. Again, the growth on her has been phenominal.”

Frenette, who fouled out with more than a minute left in the game, took her final moments of high school basketball in stride, giving hugs to teammates before heading back to the bench.

“Annabelle was just a little spitfire,” Buffum said. “You can count on her when you’re looking for points or a little bit of a momemtum shift. All of [the seniors] roles on this team will be greatly missed.”

Even with the loss, Buffum said she is excited about the future of the team, as nine varsity players return next season.

“At the beginning of the year, this was the goal we set,” Buffum said. “Each year I’ve been on board, I wanted to push them a little bit farther, and we accomplished that. We’re in the playoffs, it’s been a long time for Old Orchard since they have been in the playoffs, and that alone is a success. I’ve got a lot of girls coming back next year, so I’m already looking forward to the future and enjoyed the time that we did have this season.”

— Contact Staff Writer Dave Dyer at 282-1535 ext. 318.