McNally Scores 17 as Katahdin Lady Cougars Punch Ticket to Title Game

Katahdin is headed to the Class S girls final, and they did it with poise, pressure, and a mistake-free night.

The 2-seed Lady Cougars (17-2) leaned on defense early, protected the basketball all game, and pulled away late to beat the 3-seed Jonesport-Beals Royalettes (11-8) 46-37. The win moves Katahdin to 18-2 and into the championship game, where they will face the winner of the next matchup, an all-County showdown between No. 1 Wisdom and No. 5 Ashland.

The first quarter was a true feel-out, physical and defensive, with both teams working hard for clean looks. Jonesport-Beals edged ahead 9-8 after one, but Katahdin’s pressure started to take over in the second. The Lady Cougars forced turnovers, sped Jonesport up, and built momentum going into halftime with a 20-16 lead.

Both teams found a rhythm coming out of the break, and Katahdin hit another gear midway through the third. The Lady Cougars opened up a 13-point lead at one point, but Jonesport-Beals settled down and answered with timely baskets to keep it from getting away. Katahdin still held the edge after three, 36-28.

In the fourth, Jonesport-Beals made it interesting, trimming the margin to as little as five, but Katahdin stayed calm, got the stops it needed, and closed out the 46-37 win.

Emily McNally led the way with 17 points with four threes and ZERO turnovers, Dakota Stevens added 10, and freshman Polly Cullen with 6 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals for the Lady Cougars. Jonesport-Beals finishes 11-9, led by freshman Reagan Robinson with 16 points.

Read More:

• 🏆 Athlete of the Week hub: Winter Week Ten Athlete of the Week voting is  live! 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]