Maggie Sabine is the first, and Andrew Morong hopes she is just the first of many.

Sabine starred on the Central Maine Community College women’s basketball team, with Morong as her coach. On Friday at a press conference at the school, Sabine signed her National Letter of Intent to play at Division II St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vt.

“I’m hoping it’s going to become a pattern,” Morong said. “She set a bar, and I think people are going to try to reach that bar.”

A Litchfield native and Oak Hill High School graduate, Sabine averaged 16.9 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.5 steals per game for the Mustangs this winter. CMCC finished 23-5 overall, losing in the USCAA national semifinals.

“As a player, she’s so versatile,” Morong said. “She’s so dynamic. She can score on the block. She can score in the high post. She can score on the perimeter. And she can basically defend all five positions.”

Sabine, who will have two seasons of eligibility for the Purple Knights, said she wasn’t looking to play at a higher level, but a former coach told her about St. Michael’s.

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“I just knew, when I was on the campus, that it was the right fit for me,” Sabine said. “I’m really excited about the opportunity. I think that it’s every athletes dream to go on a full scholarship. It’s a blessing. It really is.”

Morong and Sabine agreed that her moving on is bittersweet.

“I built a lot of relationships at CM, and CM has treated me so well,” Sabine said.

“We love Maggie as a person and a player,” Morong said. “This is a great opportunity, not only for her and her family, but the CMCC family.”

Morong said if the CMCC women’s basketball becomes a place where players go for a year or two, then get a full scholarship, that’s fine with him.

“Absolutely. Why not?” he said. “If we can be the steppingstone that helps give someone a scholarship, that would be amazing.”

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If that happens, it will have started with Sabine, who went from Oak Hill to CMCC to a full ride at an NCAA Division II school.

“It’ll push me as a person,” Sabine said, “but I don’t want to forget where I came from, and that’s Central Maine Community College. That helped me to be the person I am, and to get to St. Mike’s.”

Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243

mdifilippo@centralmaine.com

 


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