North Yarmouth Academy senior Catherine Reid drives on Cape Elizabeth senior Brooke Harvey during the Panthers’ 50-45 victory Wednesday. Reid led all scorers with 22 points.

Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Press Herald photos.

More photos below.

BOX SCORE

North Yarmouth Academy 50 Cape Elizabeth 45

CE- 12 10 13 10- 45
NYA- 8 15 15 12- 50

CE- Berman 6-1-16, Harvey 2-4-8, Robicheaw 2-1-7, Wood 1-4-6, Ingalls 3-0-6, Chapin 1-0-2

NYA- Reid 11-0-22, K. Larson 3-1-9, Hamblett 4-0-8, Mower 3-0-6, M. Larson 1-0-3, Downey 1-0-2

3-pointers:
CE (5) Berman 3, Robicheaw 2
NYA (3) K. Larson 2, M. Larson 1

Turnovers:
CE- 17
NYA- 14

Free throws
CE: 10-18
NYA: 1-5

YARMOUTH—North Yarmouth Academy girls’ basketball coach Tom Robinson teaches math at Pond Cove School in Cape Elizabeth.

And Thursday morning, he’s expecting some of his students to be dressed in Panthers garb.

Robinson, a one-time Capers assistant, earned some bragging rights Wednesday evening after NYA held off visiting Cape Elizabeth in an interclass showdown that took all 32 minutes to decide.

With Panthers junior Serena Mower getting in early foul trouble, the Capers were able to get the jump behind five points from junior Isabel Berman and they held a 12-8 lead after one quarter.

Cape Elizabeth went up by seven midway through the second period, but behind senior Catherine Reid, who had 10 points in the frame, NYA rallied and took a 23-22 halftime lead on Reid’s late runner.

The third quarter saw the lead change hands four times, but the Panthers were up, 38-35, after baskets from senior Helen Hamblett and Reid.

A 7-0 Capers’ run in the fourth quarter, capped by a layup from senior Brooke Harvey, put them up, 42-40, with 4:56 to play, but 26 seconds later, NYA junior Katie Larson hit a 3-pointer to put the Panthers ahead to stay.

Reid added a basket and Larson sank an even longer 3 for a little breathing room and after Cape Elizabeth pulled within three on a putback from senior Saylor Wood, Reid made one final runner and NYA prevailed, 50-45.

Reid had a game-high 22 points and the Panthers forced 17 Capers’ turnovers and improved to 10-3 on the season, dropping Cape Elizabeth to 6-8 in the process.

“I’ve talked about (this game) all week with the kids I teach,” Robinson said. “There will be a few fourth graders in Cape wearing NYA gear tomorrow.”

Thinking February

Both teams are very much in the playoff hunt in their respective region with a little over two weeks remaining in the regular season.

NYA opened with home victories over Old Orchard Beach (68-34) and Lake Region (51-17), then lost at Yarmouth (41-35) and at home to Gray-New Gloucester (51-45). The Panthers closed the 2018 portion of their schedule with wins at Traip Academy (44-24) and Sacopee Valley (57-28), then began 2019 by winning at Fryeburg Academy (68-41) and Waynflete (52-44) and at home over St. Dom’s (53-40) and Traip Academy (55-42). NYA’s win streak was snapped by visiting Greely, the defending Class A champion (78-41), but Tuesday, the Panthers bounced back and defeated visiting Kents Hill, 75-27.

Cape Elizabeth alternated losses and wins for most of the first half of the season. The Capers opened with a 64-27 home loss to Greely, then beat visiting Fryeburg, 53-20.  After a 42-34 loss at Old Orchard Beach, the Capers handled host Waynflete, 53-28. A 51-21 loss at Kennebunk was followed by a 32-24 home win over Westbrook. After losing at home to Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth downed visiting Yarmouth (42-27) and eked out a 29-28 double-overtime decision at Lake Region. After losing at Falmouth (44-35) and at home to Freeport (33-30), the Capers beat host York, 38-30, and Monday, they lost by a point at Yarmouth (38-37).

The teams hadn’t met this century, but there was some familiarity due to Robinson, who coached the NYA boys earlier this century, being a long time Cape Elizabeth assistant before taking the Panthers’ girls’ job this winter.

Wednesday, the Capers played hard throughout and almost earned a Heal Points-rich victory, but down the stretch, Reid and her teammates were too tough to overcome.

A Harvey free throw opened the scoring and after Reid set up Larson for a layup, the next five points went to Cape Elizabeth, more specifically Berman, who scored on a putback, then made a 3-pointer for a 6-2 lead.

Mower answered with a layup (off a Reid pass), but Wood made two free throws for the visitors, Harvey scored on a putback (Mower was whistled for her third foul on the play) and junior Karli Chapin made a jumper to give the Capers their biggest advantage, 12-4.

NYA would close the quarter strong, however, as junior Carly Downey drove for a layup and Reid made a layup after a steal to cut Cape Elizabeth’s lead to four.

Larson started the second period with a free throw, but Wood countered with a pair and Ingalls scored on a putback to make it 16-9 Capers.

After Hamblett banked home a shot, Reid hit a leaner, then Reid scored on a runner to pull the Panthers within one.

Berman made a jumper in the lane, but Reid hit another runner to make it a one-point game again, 18-17.

“I like those shots,” Reid said. “I do those a lot. It’s nice when they go in.”

After Harvey made a foul shot, senior Jessie Robicheaw made a 3 to put Cape Elizabeth up five, but the final six points of the half went to the hosts.

Reid got the rally started with a putback and after Hamblett scored on a putback, Reid banked home a runner with 24.2 seconds to go for a 23-22 NYA lead at the break.

Reid led all first half scorers with a dozen points, while the Capers hung tough behind seven from Berman.

Cape Elizabeth retook the lead on a pair of Harvey free throws a little over a minute into the second half, but Reid responded with a floater and Hamblett hit a jumper for a 27-24 Panthers’ advantage. 

Ingalls banked home a shot for the Capers, but after a Reid steal, Mower, who returned to action at the start of the half, made a layup, then Mower scored on a putback to make it 31-26. 

Robicheaw made a 3 for Cape Elizabeth, but a 3-ball from senior Maggie Larson restored NYA’s five-point edge.

Berman then scored six points in the 35 seconds, first converting an old-fashioned three-point play (leaner, foul, free throw), then draining a 3- for a 35-34 Capers’ advantage.

The Panthers would go back on top, however, at quarter’s end, as Hamblett hit a baseline jump shot and Mower set up Reid for a backdoor layup and a 38-35 NYA lead heading to the final stanza.

There, the Panthers would do just enough to prevail.

When Hamblett set up Reid for a layup early in the fourth, NYA was poised to open it up, but the next seven points went to Cape Elizabeth, who got a 3 from Berman, a jumper from Ingalls and with 4:56 to play, a Harvey layup after a Chapin steal for a 42-40 advantage.

At the other end, the Panthers worked the ball around and Maggie Larson passed to Katie Larson, who with 4:30 remaining, launched a 3-ball that found nothing but net to put NYA ahead for good.

Cape Elizabeth hoped to answer, but Reid stole the ball and made a short jumper.

Then, with 3:05 on the clock, Katie Larson got the ball well behind the arc and threw up another 3-pointer which again was true to make it 48-42.

“Katie hit a couple bombs and Catherine hit her runners,” Robinson said. “She was on. She has an incredible will to win.”

The Capers had one final surge and drew within three on a free throw from Robicheaw and a putback from Wood with 39.6 seconds on the clock, but with Cape Elizabeth trying to foul her, Reid got free, dribbled into the lane, then got one final runner to find the net and that slammed the door on the Panthers’ 50-45 victory. 

“(Those 3s Katie hit) were big because it drove the defense out and opened up the middle,” Reid said. “I just saw an opening and took it to the hoop.

“I think we just got a lot of transition hoops and that helped. We couldn’t get into an offensive flow, so fastbreaks helped. Once we started driving to the basket, we got better looks.”

“For the majority of the game, I thought we were in trouble,” Robinson said. “We knew it would be a battle. (Cape) didn’t struggle to score tonight and somehow we got to 50 (points). We had a great second half.”

Reid, who was a standout at the erstwhile Maine Girls’ Academy her first three seasons, finished with 22 points, five rebounds, five steals and two assists.

“Defense is always there, but offense isn’t,” Reid said. “I focused on defense and doing what I could to help the team.”

Katie Larson had nine points, Hamblett added eight (to go with six rebounds). Mower, still working her way back into form after being sidelined for two weeks, finished with six points and three assists before fouling out. Maggie Larson had three points and Downey wound up with two.

Senior Sydney Plummer didn’t score, but she gave the Panthers big minutes off the bench, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking two shots.

“Serena missing two weeks kind of helped us out tonight because other kids are used to playing without her,” Robinson said. “Sydney did an outstanding job and Helen was fantastic.”

NYA made just one free throw in five attempts and overcame 14 turnovers.

Cape Elizabeth was led by Berman, who had 16 points and six rebounds.

“(Isabel) played well,” said Capers coach Chris Casterella. “I only took her out once to give her a breather. She played good defense on Reid.”

Harvey added eight points, four rebounds and two steals, Robicheaw had seven points and three boards, Wood finished with six points, five rebounds and two steals, Ingalls had six points and six rebounds and Chapin contributed two points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

The Capers outrebounded the Panthers, 36-31, but hit just 10 of 18 free throws and turned the ball over 17 times.

“The girls worked hard, but unfortunately, we didn’t take care of the ball and I think that was the difference,” said Casterella. “Shooters are going to shoot and their shooters made some big shots down the stretch.”

Movin’ on up

Cape Elizabeth (now eighth in the Class B South Heal Points standings, where nine teams make the playoffs) is back in action Saturday at home versus Sacopee Valley. Home games versus Wells and Poland and a trip to Gray-New Gloucester also remain on the schedule.

“We have a tough stretch ahead of us,” Casterella said. “It would be great if we could get in (the tournament). We’ve played pretty much everyone tough. We’re close. Hopefully, we can pull off enough victories to get in.”

NYA (fifth in Class C South) is at Old Orchard Beach Friday. After playing at Greely and St. Dom’s, the Panthers close with home games versus Sacopee Valley and Waynflete.

“We’re working on our offense and our plays and getting open so we don’t have to wait until the second half to get going,” Reid said. 

“When our shots go in and we’re running, we’re good,” Robinson said. “I anticipate Old Orchard will be tougher at their place after we hit 11 3s here in the opener. St. Dom’s at their place, you never know. I don’t think we can get a bye, but we think we can play with anybody.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

Cape Elizabeth junior Isabel Berman is defended by NYA junior Katie Larson. 

NYA senior Sydney Plummer battles Cape Elizabeth senior Brooke Harvey, left, and senior Alison Ingalls for a loose ball.

Cape Elizabeth senior Brooke Harvey drives on NYA junior Serena Mower.