Back in December, when the basketball season started, Gorham’s Rachele Burns was “a little scared.” She was a freshman and the Rams had moved up to Class A, which meant tough competition every game.
It didn’t take long for Burns to adjust.
“After the first game the jitters went away,” she said, “and I just played my game.”
By the second game – a one-point win over Cheverus in which she scored 25 points – Burns had established herself as one of the top players in the SMAA. She finished the season third in scoring (16.8 points per game) and was among the top 10 in three-pointers and steals.
The rookie played with a familiar faces in Gorham’s backcourt. Juniors Kelsey Wilson and Caitlyn Butterfield teamed with Burns in the fall to propel the Rams to a soccer state championship, and several other girls on the hoop squad had also been part of that Gold Ball-winning crew.
Coach Sherry Coyne started the season not knowing what to expect.
“At first my biggest focus was, ‘Hey, we’ve got to get through a Class A season’ (because) we had all new opponents and all new gyms,” she said. “Then we tried to keep them focused and we started to come together. They’ve come a long way since the beginning of the season.”
After losing three of their first four – to top teams Deering, McAuley and South Portland – Gorham won 11 of their next 14, including a come-from-behind win over a good Biddeford team.
The Rams finished the regular season at 12-6 and snagged the seventh seed going into the post-season. They hosted a preliminary round game and beat Marshwood, 49-39.
“I was just hoping to get to .500, and then I said, ‘OK, let’s get a prelim game,’ and we won that,” said Coyne, “and I said let’s get these guys into the Civic Center and get them more exposure.”
Gorham drew second-seeded McAuley (18-1 at the time) in the regional quarterfinals last Tuesday. Burns scored 18 of the Rams’ 19 first-half points to keep them within striking distance, and then Wilson and senior Emily Jenkins combined for nine points in the third quarter to make it 38-34 going into the final period.
Wilson hit a three and drove to the hoop to bring the margin down to as few as three early in the fourth, but the Lions went to their strength – 6-foot-2 Ashley Cimino. She had 15 of her 25 points in the last eight minutes to seal a 61-46 win for McAuley.
“We came in thinking, ‘Anything can happen.’ A tournament game is different than regular season,” said Burns, who finished the game with 25 points. “I think our whole team played very well and I’m proud of every single one of them.”
Gorham loses four seniors next season, but with the trio of athletic guards and forwards Nancy Robitaille and Ashley Michaud returning, the expectations will be a bit higher than just getting through the season.
“Nobody has more heart than this group of girls,” said Coyne. “I’m proud of them.”
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