Based on previous results, it didn’t seem as though the Ellsworth High School girls basketball team would be capable of upsetting undefeated John Bapst of Bangor last Friday night at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.

Ellsworth was 6-4 but hadn’t beaten a team with a winning record.

And its four losses were by an average of 21.5 points per game.

But the Eagles shocked the Crusaders 43-34 behind Trinity Montigny’s 20 points and Katelyn Bagley’s 10 points.

“We needed a big point-worthy win,” said Ellsworth coach Andy Pooler. “We played good defense, we got after it on the boards and we were able to slow the game down. Bagley and (Hannah) Sargent did a great job defensively on (Grace) Philippon and (Crystal) Bell.”

Senior standouts Bell and Philippon were held to nine and seven points, respectively.

“I knew we had a game like that in us but it was the first time we put four good quarters together,” said Pooler. “We’re a young team.”
The win was made even sweeter by the fact it was John Bapst which knocked the Eagles out of the Class B North tournament, 55-39, in the preliminary round last season. Ellsworth wound up 9-10.

Montigny is the team’s leading scorer as a sophomore. She is averaging 13 points per game. Bagley and Sargent are the team’s only seniors and are second and third in scoring, averaging 10 and six points, respectively.

Bagley and Sargent are the top rebounders and Montigny and Sargent are the assists leaders.

Joining Sargent, Bagley and Montigny in the starting lineup have been a pair of freshmen: forwards Kylie Robidoux and Sara Shea.

Three other freshmen also get significant minutes: Kayla Duhaime, Sierra Andrews and Samantha Carter.

Pooler said he is hoping his team can take the momentum and confidence from the John Bapst victory into the rest of the season and there are plenty of point-worthy games remaining including home games with Presque Isle and Caribou and a road game at Mount Desert Island. Ellsworth lost to all three this season.