Central Aroostook Survives Woodland 39-36, Advances

The third County game of the morning session brought some serious drama, and the third-seed Central Aroostook Lady Panthers had to earn every bit of it in a 39-36 quarterfinal win over the sixth-seed Woodland Lady Dragons.

• Central Aroostook beat Woodland 39-36 in a Class D girls quarterfinal

• Harleigh Allen and Lilly Burtt scored 12 points each

• Lady Panthers await the winner of Machias vs Narraguagus

Woodland came out hot and jumped to a quick 5-0 lead, then kept the pressure on with the press. Central Aroostook settled in, handled the pace, and it stayed tight through the opening quarter with Woodland leading 12-11.

The Lady Panthers grabbed the lead early in the second behind strong defensive work from Lilly Burtt, and the quarter turned into a back-and-forth chess match. Both teams defended, both teams were patient, and Central Aroostook carried a 20-18 lead into halftime.

The third quarter started slow, then flipped fast. With the game tied halfway through the quarter, the Lady Panthers ripped off an 8-0 run late to create some breathing room and took a 30-22 lead into the fourth.

Woodland made it a fight to the final horn. The Lady Dragons opened the fourth with a 12-2 run to tie it with three minutes left, fueled by Karleigh Smith and Mishun Cornelius, who combined for 12 points in the quarter.

But Central Aroostook answered at the right moments. A late Harleigh Allen 3-pointer and a big bucket from Burtt kept the Lady Panthers in front, and they held on for the 39-36 win.

Central Aroostook moves to 18-1 and will await the winner of Machias Bulldogs vs Narraguagus Knights.

Allen and Burtt scored 12 points each to lead the Lady Panthers, and Maggie Mahan added nine points. Woodland was led by Smith with 14 points and Cornelius with 13 points, and the Lady Dragons finish 9-10.

Read More:

• 🏆 Athlete of the Week hub: Winter Week Ten Athlete of the Week nominations are live! Nominate and vote for student-athletes across the County >> [LINK]

• County Athletes named to the McDonald's All-Star Team, read about who made the team >> [HERE]

• Read about local County schools and their past tournament results, and some records that may shock you HERE>> [HERE]

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