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MONMOUTH — On Christmas Day, the Monmouth boys basketball team was 2-3.

A few nights earlier, Monmouth suffered a 25-point defeat to Spruce Mountain, the worst regular-season loss experienced by the senior class. Multiple Mustangs were already sick, injured or playing restricted minutes, and another key player was set to miss time after hurting his ankle in the Dec. 22 game.

The road from Jay back to Monmouth Academy was not brightly lit.

But coach Wade Morrill knew better than to let one early game define the rest of the season.

The team chalked it up to a bad day, took some time off, and returned after the holiday break with intensity. A 25-point win over Valley on New Year’s Eve kicked things off, and the Mustangs have gone 14-2 since, using their depth and dominant defense to claim the Class D South title.

Monmouth (16-5) hopes to finish the season with a state championship when it takes on Class D North champion Machias (20-1) at 4:15 p.m. Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center.

Monmouth is seeking its first state title since winning Class C in 2024. Machias hasn’t won a Gold Ball since taking the Class D crown in 2017.

“I will be honest with you,” Morrill said during practice Wednesday, “after that Spruce Mountain loss, if you would have said we were going to be sitting here, one of 10 teams practicing in the state, and the regional champions, I probably would have some questions.”

One question would be — how?

The players say the turnaround started with attitude.

“In the first half of the year, we were just kind of casual with it,” senior guard Aiden Oliveira said. “We were out there to play basketball. We didn’t really have a plan or anything. But then we realized we got to lock in. We just started ramping up our energy and really getting after it.”

Junior guard Levi Laverdiere, the team’s leading scorer at 17.5 points per game, says the bench has been a big resource as well, and not just in terms of stepping up for unavailable players.

“Their energy helps us on the court,” he said. “Defensive chants, clapping, 3-point (celebrations). It just gives a lot of energy.”

The team has also been putting in work on the defensive end, fine tuning their footwork, close-outs, half-court and full-court assignments every day in practice for 30 to 45 minutes.

“I don’t think it’s our favorite,” junior forward Jake Harmon said. “But it’s got us to where we are.”

The Mustangs’ defense has been one of the best in the state, allowing just 43.5 points per game. During their current 10-game winning streak, they haven’t given up more than 49 points.

Going up against the high-scoring Machias offense (70.5 ppg) will be a tall task on Saturday. The Bulldogs have the 6-foot-6 Kaiyden Carter (8 points, 3 blocks) and 6-foot-3 Landon Barrett (8 points, 8 rebounds) to rely on down low, and 6-1 Mickey Fitzsimmons (18 points, 7 assists) taking shots from all over.

But that’s no different than the rest of the year.

Monmouth only has three players between 6-foot and 6-foot-2, yet Rory Foyt (8.3 rpg), Harmon (6.2 rpg) and Josh Iwuanyanwu (5.2 rpg) have still found success on the boards. They believe the Mountain Valley Conference’s physical style of play has prepared them for one last test.

“Guys have been punching above their weight the whole year,” Harmon said. “I don’t think there’s been a game this year where we are taller than guys five across the board, maybe not even three guys across the board, the whole season.”

Oliveira said they will simply have to outwork Machias, while Laverdiere says being mentally tough will be the key. After the rough start to this season, Morrill knows his team can do both.

“Our guys really had to find different ways to win almost every game,” Morrill said. “And I think that versatility, that resilience, has really paid off. I really do think they feel like they can win. They can win games no matter who’s missing. And I feel like that confidence is imperative, especially in the state game.”