The Boothbay girls basketball season came to an abrupt end Feb. 24 at the Augusta Civic Center due to an anemic shooting performance. No. 3 Monmouth Academy defeated No. 2 Boothbay, 39-30, in the Class C South semifinals. The Seahawks’ perimeter shooting spelled doom for their chances repeating as regional champions. Unofficially, Boothbay shot 14 for 44 from the field.

The Mustangs’ strong man-to-man defense is no surprise to Boothbay. The Seahawks have lost only two regular season games in the past two seasons. Both defeats came at the hands of Monmouth Academy. Last year, Boothbay defeated Monmouth in the regional semifinals en route the championship. But this year, Monmouth earned the right to play in the south championship game against No. 4 Old Orchard Beach on Feb. 26. The Mustangs employed the same tactic they’ve used all season: man-to-man defense.

“We’ve played man from the first day of the season,” said Monmouth coach Scott Wing. “We executed our game plan to perfection. We didn’t want them to hurt us inside with easy looks and keep them off the boards. They’re awfully big and Boothbay got a lot of rebounds, but we forced them into a lot of unconventional shots.”

Boothbay had a good showing defensively, except for guarding one Mustang who shot the daylights out of the ball. Monmouth point guard Tia Day scored 21 points,  more than half of her team’s total. Day connected on one three-pointer in the first quarter. With Monmouth leading 7-6, Day ignited a Mustang surge connecting on two more threes, extending the team’s lead to 13-6 midway through the second quarter. After trading baskets, Boothbay went on a mini-run trimming Monmouth’s lead to three. Seahawk forward Nicole Clark hit a 14-f00t jumper in the lane followed by a Kate Friant bucket to narrow the gap. Monmouth ended the half leading 19-14.

The third period proved to be Boothbay’s best. The Seahawks scored six straight points for a 20-19 lead. Clarke hit a mid-range jumper; Blethen converted an offensive rebound into a score, followed by a Clarke layup, scoring the last of her eight points. Boothbay finished the third quarter clinging to a 25-23 lead.

But the offensive problems which plagued Boothbay finally caught up with the team in the final quarter. Monmouth outscored Boothbay 16-5 in the last quarter to claim the victory.

“We got the ball inside and had a lot of good looks, but couldn’t get the ball to go down,” Boothbay coach Tanner Grover said. “You can spin it anyway you want. We definitely struggled offensively. Whether it was a lack of execution, Monmouth’s defense or unfriendly hoops, scoring 30 points in 32 minutes in a game of this magnitude isn’t going to cut it.”

Boothbay’s leading scorer was forward Page Brown with 12 points. Brown’s and Faith Blethen’s size was a major challenge facing Monmouth. Wing said Blethen posed a major challenge to his team, whether she was in the paint or perimeter.

“Boothbay’s size is overwhelming. They have someone six foot one who can handle the ball and shoot. Shutting Blethen down with players our size is one tough challenge, but our players really stepped up tonight,” Wing said.

Senior captain Kate Friant was disappointed her team didn’t play its best against a tough opponent.

“Our shots wouldn’t fall and we never really put it together offensively. Sometimes you have those games,” she said.

Boothbay finishes the season 18-2.