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A great start and a solid finish were enough for the South Portland girls basketball to return to a regional final. Now the 2025 Class AA state champions are looking to cement their credentials.
After a hard-fought 43-38 victory over second-seeded Sanford in a Class A South semifinal on Thursday, South Portland junior guard Annie Whitmore sounded like she still has a chip on her shoulder.
“As defending state champs, I think we needed to prove our name,” Whitmore said. “I don’t think we got as much credit last year as we thought we should deserve. Right now, we’re really proving to the whole state who we really are.”
South Portland (18-2), the No. 3, proved against Sanford (17-3) that it could start fast. The Red Riots led 28-13 at halftime, with all of their key returners from the 2025 title team making contributions. Then they withstood a strong Sanford rally in front of a large, vocal crowd at the Portland Expo.
The win sets up a rematch of last year’s Class A championship game against No. 1 Cheverus (19-1), which rallied to beat No. 4 Biddeford. The regional final will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Cheverus beat South Portland twice during the regular season.
“I honestly want to play them again. I think it’s really hard to beat a team a third time,” Whitmore said of Cheverus before South Portland’s opponent was determined. “We’re going to come out in that game ready to play.”
Sanford, trying to reach a regional final for the first time since 2020, shot only 15% in the first half. In the second half, the Spartans defended better and gradually crept back into the game behind Mollie Puffer, who scored nine of her 15 points. When senior Ava Hudson hit a baseline 3-pointer, Sanford trailed 38-36 with 48 seconds to play.
“Even though we fought tooth and nail in the second half, the first half was just a bit too much to overcome,” said Sanford coach Rossie Kearson.
Each of South Portland’s title-winning vets shined at various points. Senior Caleigh Corcoran (nine points) started fast with a bucket and a 3-pointer and held Sanford’s second-leading scorer, Paige Sevigny, to one 3-point basket. Whitmore, a junior guard, ran the offense and slowed Puffer. Destiny Peter (10 rebounds, seven points) and Mya Lawrence (10 points) both produced baskets on offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter when points were hard to come by.
“If we can be the best at the simple things, I think it keeps us composed and allows us to win games in the stretch here when it does start to get a little close,” said Brianne Maloney, South Portland’s second-year coach.
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