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CLASS C GIRLS FINAL

WHO: Mattanawcook Academy (21-0) vs. Spruce Mountain (20-1)

WHEN: 7:05 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Augusta Civic Center, Augusta 

TV: MPBN’s World Channel

KEY PLAYERS: Mattanawcook — Addison Cyr, senior (15.6 points per game, 10.6 rebounds, 4 blocks in postseason); Megan House, senior (15.6 points, 5.3 assists, 1.3 blocks); Abby Kelly, senior (8.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks). Spruce Mountain — Natasha McDonald, junior (17 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, 4 steals per game); Maddie Grimaldi, junior (14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block); Lily Bellerose, junior (13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals). 

MATTANAWCOOK WINS IF …

• It trusts its defense. The Lynx have more than enough weapons on that end of the floor, whether it be Cyr or House or Taelyn De La Cruz, who can rebound and block shots at a high volume. Capitalizing on those strengths early will take Spruce Mountain out of its comfort zone. 

• It can neutralize Grimaldi. She’s one of Spruce Mountain’s leading scorers and arguably their most impactful player on both sides of the ball. If the Lynx can disrupt her presence as often as possible, then they might be able to force the Phoenix to play from behind. 

• Cyr puts up big numbers. It sounds obvious, but the Miss Maine Basketball finalist is more than capable of tallying a 25-point double-double. She did it against Orono in the Class C South quarterfinals while also adding six blocks to her stat line. If Cyr can put up numbers at all similar to those, Mattanawcook has to like its chances.

SPRUCE MOUNTAIN WINS IF …

• Its defense sets the tone. The Phoenix are at their best when they set the pace and turn their defense into quick offense. Key to the defense and transition scoring are two starters, McDonald and Bellerose, who average four steals apiece.

•Grimaldi has a game like she did in the Class C South final against Wells. Her 21 points were clutch for the Phoenix and led to her being named the regional tournament’s most outstanding player. If she can put together another high-scoring outing and serve as the grounding force she’s been for this team since returning from her ACL injury midseason, then Mattanawcook will have a difficult time stopping Spruce Mountain. 

•It can box out effectively. The Lynx are a dominant team on the glass and proved such in its first three playoff games. Limiting Addison Cyr to single-digit rebounds after she averaged 10.6 in three tournament games could be a game-changer for the Phoenix