When Fort Kent girls basketball coach Travis Delisle first inserted Emily Pelletier into his starting lineup as a freshman, she was full of potential.
Four years later, Pelletier, a 5-foot-3 senior guard, has reached a milestone many schoolgirl players dream of: 1,000 career points.
Pelletier, one of the state’s top 3-point shooters, eclipsed that mark Saturday with 30 points in a victory over Searsport, and now has 1,023 points after scoring 14 in a loss to Penquis of Milo on Monday.
“She’s been our leader throughout. Even stepping in as a freshman she led us. She’s the most competitive girl on the team by far,” said Delisle.
“I remember the night we decided to start her, she knocked down 10 3’s that game. Everyone was like whoa, this girl can play.”
And Pelletier hasn’t looked back since, as she joins Marissa Albert and Kristin Violette as recent Fort Kent players who have reached 1,000 points.
Pelletier and the Warriors are in prime position to earn their fourth consecutive trip to the Bangor Auditorium. They were fifth in the most recent Heal points, holding a 7-4 record.
She’s arguably the deadliest player in Eastern Maine Class C from beyond the arc, and Pelletier broke her own school record with 11 3’s in a Jan. 8 victory over Van Buren.
Along with cousin and classmate Jamie Pelletier, Emily Pelletier has been a valuable piece to the Warriors’ defensive puzzle.
She has been a vital cog to Fort Kent’s offense with junior Taylor Boucher lost for the season with a torn ACL and other key players out of the lineup.
In addition to Boucher, Jessica Walker has missed time with colitis and Liz Morneault has missed the last six games while on a mission in South America.
Delisle expects both players to be back before tournament time.
Despite their absences, Sam Carapellucci and Breanna Thibodeau have stepped in and played quality minutes for the Warriors. Carapellucci is averaging 16 points and 13 rebounds per game and Thibodeau is averaging 16 points.
Since Boucher has been out, Emily Pelletier has had to add an inside game to her repertoire, consistently attacking the basket.
“She’s done a lot better job of taking the ball to the rim. We can’t just sit her out there and settle for 3s,” Delisle said.
The Warriors are in the middle of a formidable Class C pack that appears to be anyone’s to claim as tournament time fast approaches.
Top-ranked Calais has only one loss, Class D power and archrival Woodland is undefeated, and George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill earned its biggest victory of the season to date over the weekend, knocking off previously unbeaten Stearns of Millinocket, which was ranked third.
Hutchins keeps on moving
Mount Desert Island senior sprinter Danielle Hutchins is simply in a world of her own right now.
The Trojans’ speedster has been leaving her Eastern Maine Indoor Track League competition in the dust, leaving fans, competitors and coaches alike in awe every time she steps in the starting blocks.
Hutchins broke her own EMITL 55-meter dash record twice over the weekend, clocking a 7.32 in the preliminary heat to bust her old mark of 7.39, then posting a 7.22 in the finals.
Legassie, McLain out
Two of Eastern Maine’s top basketball players are out for the rest of the season due to knee injuries.
Presque Isle senior guard Kayla Legassie, one of the Big East’s top scorers at 12.2 points per game, went down in a game last week with a torn ACL. Brewer senior Meghan McLain injured her knee against Skowhegan on Jan. 6.
Legassie had been a main cog in coach Jeff Hudson’s backcourt, and the Wildcats sit 11-3 after beating John Bapst of Bangor on Saturday and falling to Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln on Monday.
The Wildcats do have a balanced offense, however, with Sarah Porter also among the Big East’s scoring leaders at 13 ppg and freshman guard Kayla Richards posting a solid 3.67 assists per game.
McLain was one of the KVAC’s top 3-point shooters and free-throw shooters, but coach Andy Nickerson’s Witches still have a solid 1-2 punch offensively in Sheri Valley and Leah Jackson.
Both Brewer and Presque Isle were in the top eight in their respective classes in the latest Heal points, and the clubs are legitimate contenders to host preliminary-round tournament games.
rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net
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