There were high expectations for the Piscataquis Community High School girls basketball team this season.
The Pirates were coming off two consecutive trips to the Eastern Maine Class C quarterfinals after a 17-year drought.
But season-opening losses to Narraguagus of Harrington (53-44) and Stearns High of Millinocket (54-53) left the Pirates reeling.
After a comfortable win over winless Penquis of Milo, they faced the daunting task of playing three games in four days.
But they won all three and also went on to win their next three to give them a seven-game winning streak entering Tuesday night’s game at Penobscot Valley of Howland.
“We just needed to play the way we should been playing the whole time,” junior center Delani Bennett explained.
Head coach Brian Gaw was puzzled by his team’s 0-2 start.
“We didn’t play well. It wasn’t the same team I had seen during the summer,” Gaw said. “But after those three wins in four days, we really got rolling.”
Gaw said one of the reasons they were able to rattle off those three wins in four days against teams who began the week with a combined 17-10 record was conditioning.
“There was a stretch over the summer in which the girls played 16 games in 11 days, including back-to-back games on the same day,” he said. “When it comes to our top four or five kids, you won’t find any kids more physically fit than they are. That makes a difference in the fourth quarter.”
In addition to playing in the Bangor High School summer league, the Pirates also had the opportunity to attend the Maine Gold Rush Camp at Colby College in Waterville.
“That helped us so much,” Bennett said.
They also had a successful summer in the Bangor league despite often playing teams from Class A and B schools.
Gaw pointed out that there was a time “when they used to lose by an average of 30-35 points. Then they started to be competitive and, last summer, they won more games than they lost. They have gotten better every year.”
It is a credit to the parents of the players and the players themselves, who raised the money enabling them to attend Maine Gold Rush Camp and play a healthy summer schedule in Bangor, Gaw said.
“I owe them a tremendous amount of thanks,” he added.
The Pirates have a blend of veterans and newcomers that have adapted nicely to their roles.
Bennett is one of the most dominant centers in Eastern Maine Class C, according to Gaw.
The 6-foot-3 Bennett is averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds per game even though she is getting double- and tripled-teamed.
The guards sisters Senior Alex Speed and her freshman sister Erin are both averaging double figures in points.
“Alex is a true point guard. She averages around 12-13 points and had nine steals in our last game,” Gaw said. “Erin is a defensive stopper. I put her on the other team’s best player. She’s also our best outside shooter. She leads us in 3-pointers.”
They also live up to their name as both are very quick, according to Gaw.
Junior Jordynne Littlefield, a 5-10 forward, is “fast, long and athletic” and is also a good perimeter defender and streak shooter who can light up the basket.
Junior Haylee Patterson, senior Grace Riitano and freshman Lexi Harris share the other forward spot. Patterson is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.
“Patterson is the best scorer among the three, Riitano is a prototypical power forward and the best defender and Harris is the best all-around player,” said Gaw, who has also received quality minutes from junior guard Courtney Dean off the bench.
Piscataquis Community High School, which avenged its loss to Narraguagus with a 68-37 home win, is looking to make a deep run in the tournament this year.
“The first year we went to the Auditorium, we were just so excited to be there after having not made it for 17 years,” said Bennett, whose team lost in overtime to Orono that year (45-40) before losing to those same Riots 40-29 last year.
“Last year, we were sickened by the loss. We played terribly,” she added.
Gaw said he liked the fact his team took last year’s loss hard because it showed a competitive maturation.
“I think we can go far this year,” Bennett said. “We’re like a huge family. We’ve played together since we were little kids. There’s no drama on this team.”