Local trio garners MVP honors
Presque Isle’s Hannah Graham, Washburn’s Mackenzie Worcester and Fort Fairfield’s Chris Giberson were named MVPs of their respective divisions in the recently-concluded Eastern Maine basketball tournament.
All three also headlined the Bangor Daily News all-tournament teams, which are selected by a vote of media, tournament personnel and Maine Principals’ Association representatives.
Graham, an all-tourney selection last season, edged out teammate Krystal Kingsbury in the MVP balloting for Class B girls.
Graham, a talented all-purpose 5-10 guard who is going to attend Brunswick’s Bowdoin College, had 45 points in her team’s three victories, including 23 in the triumph over Hermon.
Graham had nine points, five assists and three rebounds in the championship-game victory over Gardiner, and she had 13 points, four assists and three rebounds against Winslow.
She was the primary ball-handler who made good decisions with the ball and was a calming influence through leadership. Graham also was an effective defender.
Kingsbury had an exceptional tournament and capped it with a 23-point, 13-rebound performance in the title game vs. Gardiner, eclipsing the 1,000-point mark for her career.
Despite being just 5-7, Kingsbury was tenacious along the baseline and in the paint.
She had 18 points vs. Hermon and 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals against Winslow.
Worcester, a 5-5 guard, had a terrific tournament with 70 points, 21 rebounds and 17 assists and nine steals in three games to earn top honors for Class D girls.
She pumped in 31 points against Penobscot Valley of Howland, 23 against Machias and 16 in the title-game win over Fort Fairfield. She also had eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocked shots against Fort Fairfield.
Worcester was an exceptional floor general and defender who played an important role in the pressing defense.
She was accompanied on the all-tourney team by teammates Joan Overman, a senior forward, and Emmy Churchill, a junior guard, along with Fort Fairfield junior guard Chelsey Pelkey and Tiger senior forward Megan Jellison.
Overman scored 23 points and also had four rebounds and three steals against Fort Fairfield. She had 11 points, five rebounds and four steals against Penobscot Valley and 12 points, five rebounds and five steals in the win over Machias. She was an effective inside and outside player.
Despite being just 5-foot-5, Churchill used her quickness and instincts to grab 18 rebounds in three tourney games.
She had a career-high 19 points against Penobscot Valley along with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. She also contributed 15 points and five rebounds against Fort Fairfield and hauled down six rebounds vs. Machias.
Pelkey, in her first season at Fort Fairfield after transferring from Limestone Community School/Maine School of Science and Mathematics, had 28 points in the tourney including 14 to go with four rebounds, four steals and three assists against Washburn. She had nine assists and four steals along with 10 points vs. Van Buren.
Jellison racked up 46 points in her three games. She had 10 points and eight rebounds vs. Washburn after a 19-point, 12-rebound outing against Van Buren and 13 points in the triumph over East Grand of Danforth.
Giberson, the team’s lone sophomore starter, earned the Class D boys’ honor in large part because of his ballhandling grace under defensive pressure.
The 6-foot guard also scored 16 points in Fort Fairfield’s championship-game win over top-seeded Washburn after a 15-point, six-rebound effort as the Tigers defeated No. 2 Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook in the semifinals.
Among the other Eastern D all-tournament honorees are Fort Fairfield teammates Hunter Beaulieu and Robbie Watson and Cameron Bragg of Washburn.
Beaulieu, a 6-1 senior forward, was an interior force throughout the tournament, particularly in the championship game with a team-high 19 points and in the semifinals with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Watson, a 6-1 forward, was a dangerous perimeter scorer for Fort Fairfield. He averaged a team-leading 16.3 points per tournament game, with 21 points and eight rebounds in the quarters and 18 points in the semifinals
Bragg was part of a similarly balanced Washburn attack. The 5-10 senior guard averaged 12.3 points per game, with 15 points in both the semifinals and regional championship game.
Receiving honorable mention for Class B girls was Presque Isle’s Regan Nelson and for Class D girls, Teresa Maynard of Fort Fairfield. For Class D boys, Noah Caron of Washburn, Jarrett Olson of Washburn, Jackson Mathers of Southern Aroostook, Caleb Daigle of Fort Fairfield and Jacob Flewelling of Easton earned honorable mention.
