AUBURN — Edward Little has been full of surprises this girls’ basketball season. But, c’mon, Friday night was a little ridiculous.
Facing a program separated by two years from a regional championship and still ranked among the top six in Eastern Maine, EL shut out Messalonskee in the first quarter and coasted to a 47-14 KVAC victory.
Ashlee Arnold scored more points in the first half (15) than the Eagles did in the game. She finished with 21, including four 3-pointers.
“I’m in total shock right now,” Arnold said. “I thought they were going to come out and treat this like a state game. I know we did. We treat every game like a state game. That’s been the key for us.”
EL (12-2) is ranked No. 1 in an extremely crowded race to reach the real Class A final.
Let the record show that Red Eddies coach Craig Jipson didn’t dream of that — or a result like this — two months ago.
“We lost Kirsten Prue and Kayla Cummings to graduation, and Crissy Lewis transferred. We lost 40 points per game from last year,” Jipson said. “I didn’t expect this in a thousand years.”
Messalonskee (7-7) played without coach Brenda Beckwith. She was serving a one-game suspension after being ejected in the Eagles’ last game.
Shots didn’t fall and passes failed to reach their destination from the beginning. Messalonskee went 0-for-8 from the field with eight turnovers, falling in a 13-0 hole.
EL also scored the first basket of the second quarter before Megan Pelletier ended the Eagles’ drought with 5:38 remaining in the half.
“I have no idea what happened tonight,” Jipson said. “I know it’s hard to play without your head coach. Pelletier and (Mary) Badeen are two of the top players in Eastern Maine. It was a six-point game when we played at their place.”
Pelletier led Messalonskee with eight points and 10 rebounds. Shelby Cutten (four points) and Badeen (two) were the only other players to score for the Eagles.
The Eagles were 4-for-28 from the floor and 6-for-15 from the line.
Arnold, meanwhile, had 10 on the strength of two 3-pointers in the first quarter. Frankie Lally, Kory Norcross and Dawna Daigle got involved in the second-period offense, staking the Eddies to a 24-7 halftime edge.
“Ashlee is a very good offensive player, and we have kids that complement her,” Jipson said.
Lally chalked up seven points, 10 rebounds and five assists for EL. She and Kate Sawyer each dropped a 3-pointer to key a 19-3 disparity in the third.
Nine different players scored and at least six had one steal for the Eddies.
EL’s best previous defensive effort was 18 points against Lewiston in the second game of the season.
“We’re not naive. We know our next three games are the toughest on our schedule,” said Jipson, acknowledging a stretch that includes Oxford Hills, Morse and Mt. Ararat.
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