Winslow’s Matthew Reynolds, left, looks to make a pass in front of Lincoln Academy defenders during a boys basketball game Dec. 15 in Winslow. Dave Dyer/Kennebec Journal
Tournament time is so close that we can almost taste it — but first, there’s some business to take care of before the standings can be settled.
There are some key basketball games still to be played across the region over the regular season’s final days. At stake are tournament seedings, first-round byes and bragging rights between local rivals.
“You want to hit the postseason having some momentum and come off some good performances so that you have that in your mindset going into the tournament,” said Winslow boys head coach Ken Lindlof. “You’re fighting for that seeding, and you also want to tune up before next week.”
The Mt. Blue boys (14-2) have one of those big games slated for Tuesday night in Farmington. The Cougars, ranked first in Class A North, are hoping to secure the top spot against third-ranked Hampden Academy (14-2), which is hoping to move up in the rankings.
Mt. Blue head coach Troy Norton said it’s unclear as to whether Hampden’s Zach McLaughlin, one of the state’s top players, will play Tuesday. McLaughlin has missed the past two games with a heel injury, though the Broncos still beat Camden Hills 59-47 in his absence Saturday.
“We’ve kind of had this game circled in the back of our minds all season since we’ve been two of the top teams all year,” Norton said. “The story (on McLaughlin) is that he might not be back until the tournament, so that obviously changes things significantly, but we’ll be ready if he does play. It’ll still be a tough game.”
In the Class B echelon of the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference, Winslow has a big week ahead of it as it looks to secure a Northern Maine prelim game. The 11-5 Black Raiders will look to upset Oceanside (16-0) at home Tuesday before hosting Class C Mount View (12-4) in a cross-class showdown Thursday.
Maranacook’s Cooper Davis keeps the ball away from Winthrop defender Madeline Wagner during a Mountain Valley Conference basketball game Jan. 19 in Readfield. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
“These are two games we’ve really been looking forward to,” Lindlof said. “Our kids are really excited about two competitive matchups. Mount View, they might be undersized, but they make up for it by playing with great intensity. … Oceanside, they’re athletic, and they play that position-less basketball.”
On the girls side, Maranacook (11-5) is in the mix for a bye in a strong Class B North region. The Black Bears play at Kents Hill (2-14) on Monday before a Wednesday battle with Madison (14-2) in a game that could provide some much-needed Heal points for Maranacook in its quest to avoid a prelim game.
No regular season, of course, is complete without Cony and Gardiner facing off in the finale. That’s set for Thursday with the Rams (9-7) and Tigers (6-9) set to begin a girls doubleheader at 5:30 and the boys (Cony 7-9, Gardiner 3-12) set to follow at 7. The Cony boys also have a key battle with Messalonskee (13-4) on Tuesday.
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Remember when we said Valley’s win Friday against Islesboro was believed to be only the second time two teammates reached the 1,000-point mark in the same game? Well, it actually happened a third time — and a former head coach of a local team remembers it well.
It was the final week of the 1988-89 regular season, and Doran Stout’s Erskine Academy boys team was in the midst of a trying year. On Feb. 6, 1989, the 3-12 Eagles had a particularly daunting task: A road game against 14-1 Lincoln Academy, which had two standouts in Kyle O’Bryan and Chris McKenney.
Just as Harry Louis and Fisher Tewksbury did for Valley last week, both O’Bryan and McKenney entered this late-season showdown against Erskine with 1,000 in their sights. Fans in Newcastle fully expected both players to reach the mark and packed the house for a chance to see the rare feat.
“What I still remember is that gym was electric,” said Stout, now the tournament director for games at the Augusta Civic Center. “Their student section was packed, and there were so many people there ready to see those kids get 1,000 points. They had the numbers on the wall counting it down.”
McKenney, who entered the game needing just three points for his 1,000th, did so just 11 seconds into the game on a 3-pointer. Although O’Bryan, who entered the contest 21 points away, was less of a sure thing, he was able to reach it on a layup in the third quarter after a hot start to the game.
What made the occasion even more memorable, Stout said, was the reaction of the Lincoln fans. After McKenney’s 3-pointer in the opening seconds of the contest, fans of the home team threw rolls of toilet paper into the air and onto the court in celebration. O’Bryan’s 1,000th sparked the same reaction.
“(McKenney) makes that shot, and there had to be 100 rolls of toilet paper that just go flying into the air,” Stout recalled. “The student section just went nuts. Then, (O’Bryan), they just start feeding him the ball, and when he gets his later, here come another 100 rolls.”
Lincoln, which beat Erskine 77-43 in that encounter, would go on to make even more history that season. The Eagles later won the Class B state championship, defeating Rockland 84-78 in the state final to win the only Gold Ball in program history.
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Lawrence’s Nadia Morrison, center, swipes a rebound from Skowhegan’s Natalie Cooke, right, during a girls basketball game Jan. 15 in Fairfield. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
There’s been little that has gone wrong for the Lawrence girls basketball team over the last two years, but after a recent loss to Hampden, the Bulldogs seem to be getting back on the right track.
Lawrence (15-1), the defending Class A champion, fell 54-52 on the road to Hampden on Jan. 27. The Bulldogs have won both of their games in dominant fashion since then, a 71-32 victory over Mt. Blue on Jan. 30, and a 68-54 win over Cony on Friday night.
“From what I’ve seen in the two games (since the Hampden loss), we’ve really learned from that,” Lawrence head coach Greg Chesley said. “I think the girls are a little more focused and ready to go. As long as we take care of business in these last couple of games, I think things are going to line up OK for us for a good playoff run.”
Sophomore guard Maddie Provost has been the offensive leader on the floor for Lawrence. But what’s making the Bulldogs stand out is the play of junior forwards Nadia Morrison and Lilly Gray, both of whom stand 6 feet tall. In the win over Cony, Gray had 14 points and seven rebounds, while Morrison had six points and 14 rebounds.
“It’s nice (to have the advantage on the boards),” Provost said. “It’s going to help us a lot going down the stretch (of the season).”
Staff reporter Dave Dyer contributed to this report.
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