Lane's closing seconds basket sends Hermon 5/6 girls to EMBL Championship

GLENBURN - Sunday afternoon at the Glenburn School, Mikelle Lane scored in the closing seconds of the game to give the Hermon Hawks a 46-45 victory over the Eastern Elite in an Eastern Maine Basketball League semifinal game in the 5/6 B girls division. Both teams were classified as A/B teams, as they played in the 5/6A division but were dropped down to the 5/6B division for the playoffs.

 Hermon's Mikelle Lane takes a look at the basket before a foul shot during the second half. Lane scored the game winning basket in the closing seconds of the game. Hermon defeated Eastern Elite 46-45 in the semifinal game. (Photo by Skip Hawkes)

Tensions were high with the game tied at 44-44 with only 1:40 remaining in the game. The Elite's Kaylin Hamilton broke the tie with a free throw and just 1:02 left to play.

Eastern Elite's Kaylin Hamilton (7) makes a free throw to put the Elite on top 45-44 with just over one minute to play in the game. (Photo by Skip Hawkes)

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Lane, who had not scored in the second half, wound up being in the right place at the right time as Abi Dubois worked the ball down near the end line but had no shot. She wrapped a pass around some Elite defenders into the hands of Lane who banked the glass for the basket with 14.5 seconds to play. Hermon was able to hold on the rest of the way for the win.

Hermon's Kass Lebel (3) tries to drive to the basket during the second half. (Photo by Skip Hawkes)

Fortunately for Hermon, they opened the game with a 20-16 lead in the first half. That would be the difference maker, as Elite out scored the Hawks 29-26 in the second half. 

Kass Lebel led the Hawks in scoring with 22 points. Dubois scored eight points, Lane and Lydia Muth each had six points, and Sabree Thomas had four points. Hermon went 2-for-9 (22 percent) from the free throw line.

The Elite's Karleigh Smith (right) looks to put up a shot during the game. (Photo by Skip Hawkes)

Karleigh Smith topped all scorers with 37 points to lead the Elite. Meadow Rhode added six points, and Grace Howard and Hamilton each chipped in with one point. The Elite went 9-for-26 (35 percent) from the charity stripe.

HERMON    20  26 -- 46

ELITE          16  29 -- 45

Hermon's Lydia Muth brings the ball up court during the second half. (Photo by Skip Hawkes)