Waynflete sophomore Sophi Aronson goes up for a shot during the Flyers’ 41-38 home loss to St. Dom’s Thursday. 

Joe Carpine / 365digitalphotography.com photos.

More photos below.

BOX SCORE

St. Dom’s 41 Waynflete 38

SD- 10 11 8 12- 41
W- 6 11 12 9- 38

SD- Gastonguay 7-3-18, Zimmerman 3-3-11, Rogers 3-2-8, Mia Leslie 2-0-4

W- Giguere 3-9-16, Olney 2-4-9, Aronson 2-3-7, Wildes 1-1-3, Burdick 1-0-2, Boedeker 0-1-1

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3-pointers:
SD (3) Zimmerman 2, Gastonguay 1
W (2) Giguere, Olney 1

Turnovers:
SD- 22
W- 28

Free throws
SD: 8-16
W: 18-31

PORTLAND—Despite foul trouble, too many turnovers and an injury to a key player, Waynflete’s girls’ basketball team had visiting St. Dom’s on the ropes in a pivotal Class C South contest Thursday afternoon.

But ultimately, the Flyers couldn’t finish the job and missed out on opportunity to solidify their playoff standing.

Waynflete fell behind, 8-2, in the first quarter, as junior Emi Boedeker had to depart with a collarbone injury and seniors Izzy Burdick and LZ Olney picked up multiple fouls.

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The Saints took a 10-6 lead into the second period and behind the stellar play of senior Caroline Gastonguay, soon stretched it to 21-10, but the Flyers crept back within four at halftime.

Waynflete then pulled even, 23-23, on three free throws from senior Lydia Giguere and the game would be deadlocked, 29-29, heading for the fourth quarter.

There, the Flyers twice held the lead, including 36-35 with 2:28 to play on a pair of Giguere free throws, but Gastonguay answered with a jumper.

Giguere tied the game at the line, but with 1:13 on the clock, St. Dom’s sophomore Becca Zimmerman banked home a 3-pointer to put the Saints ahead to stay.

Waynflete wasn’t able to rise off the deck this time and St. Dom’s went on to put the finishing touches on a 41-38 victory.

Gastonguay led all scorers with 18 points and the Saints improved to 7-5, dropping the Flyers to 4-8 in the process.

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“The girls battled,” said Waynflete coach Mike Jefferds.”We compete every game. We’re in every game. We’re just trying to put it all together.”

Getting late

Waynflete has had its share of ups and downs this season, but has been competitive throughout.

After opening with a 53-30 home loss to Wells, the Flyers beat host North Yarmouth Academy (37-24) and visiting Traip Academy (43-33). A 44-31 loss at Cape Elizabeth and a 24-22 setback at Yarmouth followed. After downing visiting Hebron Academy (43-27) and Sacopee Valley (55-28), Waynflete lost at home to Old Orchard Beach (30-25) and Poland (53-32), at Traip (53-40) and at home to Freeport Wednesday evening (58-46).

St. Dom’s won five of its first six games, then dropped four of the next five.

Last year, the Flyers won both meetings, 40-37 in Auburn and 37-28 at home.

Thursday, the Saints returned the favor.

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The first point of the game went to Gastonguay, on a free throw, and with 6:36 still to play in the first quarter, Olney was called for her second foul.

Waynflete took a short-lived, 2-1 lead on a putback from sophomore Anna Wildes, but a 7-0 St. Dom’s run gave it control, as sophomore Mia Angelina Leslie made a layup, Gastonguay sank a 3 and Gastonguay hit a pair of free throws.

After Giguere stemmed the run with a jumper, Boedeker scored her lone point at the foul line, but she soon was injured and had to leave (returning for just a moment in the second half before departing for good).

Giguere added a foul shot, but a pair of free throws from Zimmerman gave the Saints a 10-6 advantage after one period.

The Flyers were seriously hindered in the first eight minutes by 11 turnovers.

“Their 1-3-1 (zone) bothered us at the beginning and it took a little while to get acclimated to that,” Jefferds said. 

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Waynflete drew back within two 15 seconds into the second period when sophomore Sophi Aronson scored on a putback, but Gastonguay countered with a jump shot. 

Giguere made a floater to make it 12-10, but the next nine points went to the Saints, as Leslie hit a runner, Gastonguay made a layup after a steal, Gastonguay set up Zimmerman for a 3 and sophomore Skye Rogers made two free throws to put the lead to 21-10 with 4:03 remaining in the half.

Giguere settled the Flyers down with a 3-ball, senior Izzy Burdick made a jump shot and in the final minute, Olney made two free throws to cut Waynflete’s deficit to 21-17 at halftime.

In the first half, the Flyers turned the ball over 18 times, but hung close thanks to 10 points from Giguere. Gastonguay led all scorers with 11 points to help St. Dom’s hold the lead. 

The game would tighten up even more in the third period and remain nip-and-tuck until the very end.

Gastonguay started the second half scoring with a jump shot with 5:56 on the third quarter clock, snapping a 6 minute, 7 second drought, but Olney made a free throw, Aronson hit a leaner and with 4:41 to go in the frame, Giguere was knocked down while shooting a 3 and drained all three subsequent free throws to tie it, 23-23.

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The Saints retook the lead on a bank shot from Rogers, but Wildes made a free throw and after being fouled on an offensive rebound, Giguere hit two to give Waynflete its first lead since the score was 2-1.

Gastonguay answered right back with a leaner, but off an inbounds set, Burdick passed to Olney for a layup and a 28-27 Flyers’ lead.

Zimmerman countered with a runner in the lane, but a free throw from Aronson tied the game, 29-29, after three periods.

St. Dom’s got the first four points of the final stanza, as Rogers hit a leaner, then scored on a putback, but Olney sank a clutch 3 and Aronson added two foul shots for a 34-33 Waynflete advantage with 4:57 on the clock.

A minute later, after a Flyers’ miss, Gastonguay tipped the rebound over a defender to herself, then raced down the court and made a layup to put the Saints back in front.

The back-and-forth continued with 2:28 remaining, as Giguere made two free throws, but that would prove to be Waynflete’s final lead, 36-35.

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With 1:30 on the clock, Gastonguay hit a shot jumper and after Giguere tied the score at the foul line nine seconds later, Zimmerman would hit the biggest basket of the game with 1:13 to go, a 3 from up top which banked home for a 40-37 St. Dom’s lead.

After a Flyers’ turnover, Gastonguay missed the front end of a one-and-one and with 18.3 seconds left, Olney made the first of two free throws to cut the deficit to two.

Olney missed the second attempt, but a held ball on the rebound gave the ball back to Waynflete.

The Flyers couldn’t capitalize, however, as first Olney, then Aronson missed shots which could have tied it.

Finally, with 8.4 seconds left, Gastonguay was fouled, but again, she missed the front end of the one-and-one and Wildes’ rebound gave Waynflete one final chance.

The Flyers couldn’t manage a shot, however, as with 4 seconds to play, Giguere was called for charging.

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With under a second to play, Zimmerman added a free throw and the Saints went on to a 41-38 victory.

“We had a tough game last night against Freeport, one of the best teams in Class B, and to go back-to-back and play with six, seven players, it was an awful lot to ask,” Jefferds said.  

Gastonguay led all scorers with 18 points and she also had six steals. Zimmerman added 11 points and six rebounds, Rogers had eight points, to go with six rebounds, three assists, three blocked shots and two steals, and Leslie had four points. 

Senior Rileigh Stebbins didn’t score, but grabbed seven rebounds.

St. Dom’s overcame 22 turnovers and hit 8 of 16 free throws.

For Waynflete, Giguere had a team-high 16 points and registered a double-double, as she also had 12 rebounds (and three steals). Olney added nine points (and five boards), Aronson had seven (to go with nine rebounds), Wildes three (to go with nine boards), Burdick two (as well as six rebounds and two assists) and Boedeker one. 

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The Flyers had a 36-32 rebounding edge, but committed 28 turnovers and made just 18 of 31 free throw attempts.

Climbing the ladder 

St. Dom’s (now ninth in the Class C South Heal Points standings) returns to action Friday with a tough test at perennial powerhouse Lake Region.

Waynflete (which is 12th in C South, where 14 teams qualify for the postseason) also has a challenge up next, as it goes to defending Class B champion Gray-New Gloucester Saturday. After playing at Sacopee Valley and Hebron Academy, the Flyers host Old Orchard Beach, go to St. Dom’s and finish at home versus NYA.

“They’re good kids and we’ll see how they come back and what kind of memories they’ll make,” Jefferds said. “We’ve got six games left. Every game is winnable for us. We have kids who come alive at different points, but we need several to come together at once.”

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

Waynflete senior LZ Olney eludes St. Dom’s’ defense and goes up for a shot in the lane.

Waynflete senior Lydia Giguere skies for a rebound over a St. Dom’s defender.

Waynflete sophomore Anna Wildes attacks the basket.

Waynflete junior Emi Boedeker attempts a layup.


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