It’s always nice to have a dominant player in the post in basketball.
But when that post player can also dribble and occasionally take on the role of guard, it’s a valuable bonus.
Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln’s Addison Cyr is that kind of player and a major reason the Lynx took a 19-0 record into Thursday night’s Class C North semifinal against defending state Class B champ Caribou at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
The 6-foot-1 Cyr averaged 25 points, 18 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.6 blocked shots during the regular season and opened the tournament with 25 points, 12 rebounds, six blocks, four assists and a steal in the 64-30 quarterfinal win over Orono.
The Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl second team selection said she has worked on expanding her game.
“When things aren’t working down low and we’re not being able to get it down low, I can still be just as effective having to play the guard position, which I haven’t necessarily had to do a ton of,” Cyr said. “But I’ve definitely been working on that a lot.”
Cyr will play at Bangor’s Husson University next year.
She said she hasn’t had to use her ballhandling skills often because the Lynx have several guards who are able to dribble the ball up the court.
But she indicated that it may come in handy in college.
“Maybe I don’t need it for high school but I’ll have it in my back pocket for college next year,” Cyr said.
She has been happy with her season thus far.
“It’s been a really good year so far,” Cyr said after the win against Orono. “It’s been really fun playing with all the girls I’ve grown up playing with.”
Mattanawcook Academy coach Pat House said Cyr has been a better decision-maker in the full court this season.
“She gives us an extra body to relieve pressure. She has great vision and also strength to move the ball,” House said.
Megan House, the coach’s daughter and a senior guard, said Cyr’s ballhandling ability is “really nice because any time we sense any pressure she can bring the ball up for us.”
House grew up playing with Cyr and said once they got into high school, Cyr “really started to shine.
“It’s really her ability to be patient when she catches the ball in the post. She has a pump fake that allows her to get body control. That’s really special to see,” said House who, like Cyr, is a 1,000-point career scorer.
Cyr said one of the reasons she chose Husson was because her parents went to Husson.
“It isn’t the main reason. I grew up going to Husson’s basketball camps in the summer. I’ve always been around it,” Cyr said. “And I really wanted to be close to home so Husson was the perfect fit.”
She intends to start lifting weights after the season to prepare for Husson and work on expanding her shooting range.
She will be attending Husson with three of her Maine React AAU teammates in Bangor’s Avery Clark and Dalaney Horr and Ellsworth’s Lizzie Boles.
“Most of us have played together since eighth grade. We all joked that we would wind up going to the same college but we didn’t think it was going to happen. But it definitely did,” said Cyr. “We’re all really good friends and it’s amazing that we’re going to play another four years together and develop more. It’s going to be really fun.”
Pat House said Cyr could wind up playing a little more on the outside at Husson.
“She is obviously a tall girl and a really good post player, but I think her game will evolve a little bit into the mid-range and maybe she could also spread it out to the perimeter,” said House, who noted that she is also a good decision-maker.