Lawrence High School of Fairfield’s Nia Irving was hoping to have a memorable junior season.
But after knee surgery in May to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus, the junior forward wasn’t cleared to play until one week before the season started and was only 75-80 percent in her first preseason game.
“But midway through the season, I was back to 100 percent,” said Irving, who went on to lead her 20-1 Bulldogs to their first Eastern Maine Class A championship since 1994 and a berth in Saturday’s 3:05 p.m. state title game final against Western Maine champ Thornton Academy of Saco (18-2).
In the other state championship games, Presque Isle, 19-2, and Greely of Cumberland Center, 18-2, will kick off the festivities in the Class B final at 7 p.m. Friday at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. The Class C final between Houlton, 19-2, and Maranacook of Readfield, 18-3, will be played at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, and the Class D title game between Washburn (21-0) and Rangely (20—0) will be held at 1:05 p.m. Saturday in Bangor.
It took a lot of hard work, physical therapy and exercises for Irving to return to the form that earned Irving third team Bangor Daily News All-Maine accolades a year ago.
“I’m very happy. We have come a long way, and we’re peaking at the right time,” said Irving, who has focused on developing her upper body strength and improving her defense and foul shooting.
She has averaged 22 points and 16.5 rebounds per game.
Irving poured in 70 points in three games to earn the BDN Class A Eastern Maine tourney MVP award.
“She has led the KVAC in scoring and rebounding all three years and has been the Player of the Year all three years,” coach John Donato said. “And she keeps improving because of her work ethic.”
But the Bulldogs have more weapons than Irving.
Junior guard Dominque Lewis nailed five 3-pointers, including the game-winner with 17 seconds left, in the 46-42 Eastern Maine final win over Bangor. She averages 13.7 points per game and 6.5 assists. Paige Belanger has averaged 11.8 ppg.
Thornton Academy has never played in a girls state basketball final but one of its stars, senior forward Victoria Lux has won state championships at Catherine McAuley of Portland. She transferred to Thornton Academy this year and helped the Golden Trojans end McAuley’s reign of four straight state titles.
Thornton Academy beat McAuley 41-31 in the Western Maine final for its eighth straight win and held its three tourney victims to 30 ppg.
Lux, a BDN All-Maine third-teamer in 2014, and guard Kaitlyn McCrum, an honorable mention, were two semifinalists for Miss Maine Basketball this season, and their talented supporting cast includes freshman point guard Alex Hart and 5-11 senior center Abigail Strickland, who had a game-high 13 points vs. McAuley.
Class B
Presque Isle will be looking for for its third state championship in four years against a Greely team that hasn’t claimed a gold ball since 2004.
The game features three career 1,000-point scorers in Presque Isle’s Hannah Graham and Krystal Kingsbury and Greely’s Ashley Storey.
The two teams met in the preseason in Presque Isle, and Greely used a strong second half to beat the Wildcats.
Kingsbury and Graham have averaged 16 points per game in Presque Isle’s three Eastern Maine tourney victories. Kingsbury had 23 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Gardiner in the final.
The Wildcats also have streaky 3-point shooters in Emily Lagerstrom and Taylor Williams and an inside presence in 5-foot-11 Regan Nelson.
“We have a lot of weapons. We’re tough to guard,” said Presque Isle coach Jeff Hudson.
Storey is another Miss Maine Basketball semifinalist who was an All-Maine honorable mention a year ago. She had 14 points and 13 rebounds in the Western Maine title game win over Cape Elizabeth, which was Greely’s 12th consecutive victory.
Senior guard Haley Felkel had 12 points. Sophomore forward Moira Train had 22 points in the semifinal win over Gray-New Gloucester.
“We’re going to have to limit Storey’s touches,” said Hudson. “They have five active players, so we’re also going to have to take care of the ball.”
Class C
Houlton will be seeking its first girls state crown since it claimed the Class B title in 1991. Maranacook has never played in a state game.
Freshman sensation Kolleen Bouchard scored 53 points to earn MVP honors in the Eastern Maine Class C tournament and is looking to become the fourth member of her family to hoist a gold ball. Father Marty Bouchard coached the Hodgdon boys to a state title in 1996; brother Kyle Bouchard won one with the Houlton boys a year ago, and mother Karen (Spurling) won a couple at Houlton High.
Kolleen Bouchard said the biggest adjustment to high school basketball was the “physical play,” but she said she has always played against older girls growing up and that has helped.
She has worked hard on her outside shot and free-throw shooting and would love to add a gold ball to the family collection.
“I’d like to one-up my brother someday,” she quipped.
Bouchard has averaged 19.5 points per game, 7.5 rebounds, four steals and 3.5 blocked shots.
Katie Condon has averaged 11 points and seven rebounds, and Natalie Hill has contributed nine points per game.
Houlton coach Shawn Graham said Maranacook is “tall and long” and loves to press.
“We’re going to have to be aggressive against their press. That will enable us to get some easy baskets off transition,” he said.
The Black Bears feature 5-11 senior forward Christine Miller, the Western Maine tourney MVP; Sarah Clough, whose four 3-pointers keyed the title game win over Dirigo of Dixfield, and Kristen Hall.
Class D
Class D tourney MVP and Miss Maine Basketball semifinalist Mackenzie Worcester said her team’s dedication and work ethic, which began in the offseason, has enabled it to survive significant personnel losses to repeat as regional champs.
And she is poised and ready to lead her small but tenacious, pressure-oriented Beavers against a Rangeley team that has a pair of 6-footers in Blayke Morin and Taylor Esty.
Washburn doesn’t have a player over 5-8.
Rangeley hasn’t won a state since 2004.
Washburn is 105-5 over the past five seasons.
“We’re going to want to play at a faster speed,” said Washburn coach Diana Trams, whose teams usually generate a lot of points off turnovers and transition.
Worcester is averaging 26.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, six steals and seven assists per game. She had 70 points, 21 rebounds, 17 assists and nine steals in the Eastern Maine tourney.
Joan Overman averages 12 points and six rebounds including but had 23 points and four rebounds in the championship game win over Fort Fairfield.
“Fort Fairfield played a box-and-one [on me] and that left the middle open for Joan,” said Worcester.
Emmy Churchill averages six points and six rebounds per game and had 18 rebounds to earn all-tourney honors. She also had games of 19 and 15 points.
Esty had 15 points and 14 rebounds in the Western Maine championship game win over Richmond, and Morin added 11 points for the Lakers, who held opponents to 22.3 points per game in the Western Maine tourney.