After Three Losses to Bangor Christian, Penobscot Valley Repeats as Champion
Underdog Howlers, who dropped to Class D, beat Mt. Abram 42-35 for a second straight state title.
The Penobscot Valley High School girls basketball team of Howland won its second consecutive state championship on Feb. 28, defeating Mt. Abram 42-35 in the Class D final at the Augusta Civic Center, the Bangor Daily News reported.
The Howlers won the Class C title last season before dropping to Class D this winter. They lost to top-seeded Bangor Christian three times during the regular season, then knocked off that team in the regional semifinals.
Senior forward Lila Cummings led Penobscot Valley with 15 points and 16 rebounds and blocked two shots late in the game, each one protecting a lead as Mt. Abram tried to rally. Junior guard Brooklynn Raymond, chosen earlier in the week as the top player in the northern Class D region, scored 13 points, and her early 3-pointers kept the Howlers close after Mt. Abram started well. Junior forward Abby Farley made two 3-pointers in the second half.
Head coach Nate Case said the turnaround began about four weeks earlier, after a loss to Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln, a Class C team. "We sat in the locker room and said things have to change if we're gonna do this again," Case said.
Cummings said the team expected a defensive game and relied on its defense to create scoring chances.
This story was first reported by Bangor Daily News.
