That is a look at the stable of local girls basketball teams qualifying for this year’s Eastern Maine Basketball Tournament, which gets under way this weekend at the Bangor Auditorium. All four teams earned berths directly into the tournament, thus avoiding the preliminary playoffs which were held Tuesday.
The Fort Fairfield Tigers won last year’s Class D state title, but had an up and down regular season. In fact, the Tigers had lost three consecutive games before pulling off a 42-35 road win over Central Aroostook Thursday to wrap up its slate.
The Tigers, who are the No. 5 seed, have on their roster a player many consider to be the best frontcourt player in Aroostook County and one of the best in EM Class D in junior Amanda Hotham, who averaged close to 20 points per game despite having to face special defenses throughout the year in attempts to slow her down.
Hotham, last year’s regional tourney MVP in Class D, is paired up with senior center Brooke Beaulieu (10 ppg), while Danielle Tracy (8.2 ppg) and Sydney Churchill (5.6 ppg) are perimeter shooting threats. The point guard position is handled by freshman Logan Bubar.
Fort Fairfield will meet up against Southern Aroostook in the quarterfinals Monday at 2:05 p.m.
The Central Aroostook Panthers are healthy again with the recent return of junior point guard Rachael Grew, who missed three games in mid-January with a wrist injury. CA lost to the Tigers in last year’s EM championship and two of the team’s four losses this season came at the hands of Fort Fairfield, but the Panthers appear determined and possess the talent to make a deep run in this year’s post-season.
CA, ranked second in the division, plays either No. 7 Shead or No. 10 Van Buren in the quarterfinals Saturday at 9:05 p.m.
The other Class D team in the playoff field are the Washburn Beavers, who guaranteed its slot in the tourney early on with four consecutive victories to begin the season, which came over CA, Fort Fairfield, Southern Aroostook and Van Buren – all whom qualified for this year’s playoffs. The Beavers parlayed that success and their consistency the rest of the way into a No. 1 ranking.
“That first game, the win over Central Aroostook, got us flying and ready to go,” said senior Rebecca Campbell. “I think that win really set us ahead of everyone else.”
Campbell, another 1,000-point career scorer who averaged 18.8 ppg this season, said it is team play that has spearheaded her Washburn squad to this point.
“We work well together,” Campbell said. “We’ve worked hard on unity, on and off the court. We thrive on being a family.”
Outside of seniors Campbell and Sarah Sjoberg, the starting center, Washburn has a youthful roster. Freshman Carmen Bragg scored 11.6 ppg and gives the team strong defense out front while paired up with sophomore guard Rayah Saucier and freshman Carsyn Koch, who comes off the bench to provide the team a spark on the defensive end.
Freshman Nicole Olsen and senior Meghan Saucier, recently back from a concussion, will help out along with sophomore Olivia Doody, who also returns from injury.
Washburn will play either No. 8 Bangor Christian or No. 9 Jonesport-Beals in a quarterfinal game set to tip off at 3:35 p.m. Monday afternoon.
The Presque Isle Wildcats also finished No. 1 in Class B. The Wildcats used their trademark pressure defense and three-point shooting ability to win all but one of their regular season contests.
“I’m impressed with the explosiveness this team has,” said veteran coach Jeff Hudson. “We had so many games in which we scored 10 or 15 points in a matter of two minutes, so we have the potential to score in a hurry.”
The squad, led by two juniors and four sophomores, is a high-scoring juggernaut which has set its sights on avenging last year’s semifinal loss. In fact, a victory in Saturday’s quarterfinal could set up a semifinal rematch against the Nokomis team that knocked the Wildcats out a year ago.
“I am hoping we have a bitter taste in our mouth after last year’s loss,” Hudson said. “I think we are focused and ready to make a run, but every team in the tournament feels they have a chance to win.
“We need to play our game if we are to advance.”
Sophomore guard Chandler Guerrette is the leading scorer at 12.6 ppg, but Kayla Richards (11.2 ppg), Karlee Bernier (9.1 ppg) and Megan Ireland (8.3 ppg) aren’t far behind. All are key in the defensive end of the floor as well in PI’s pressure scheme.
The other key players, sophomore center Meredith Stewart and junior forward Chelsea Nickerson, aren’t far behind in the scoring category and also help the Wildcats in other aspects on the floor – Stewart with her rebounding and post defense and Nickerson with her relentless defense.
“We showed by our No. 1 ranking that we were the best in the regular season,” Hudson said, “and now we need to prove it in the tourney.”
Presque Isle meets up against either Gardiner, a team that Hudson said has quick guards and some size that could give the Wildcats problems, or Old Town, which has two big players, quickness in the backcourt and played PI tough in the Jan. 22 meeting at Old Town. Game time is 3 p.m. Saturday.
