Cindy Blodgett, the University of Maine women’s basketball coach, took in the first two games of the Western Class A girls’ quarterfinals Monday at the Portland Expo.
Blodgett, who signed a two-year extension in September, wanted to not only see Rebecca Knight of McAuley, who will be playing for the Black Bears, but to check in on other players.
“The thing I like most is that this is the tournament,” said Blodgett. “This is the stage where you expect your best players to step up. It’s not like the regular season where in some games your best player might only play half the game. This is the tournament. Your best players are going to play regardless of the score. They have the opportunity to shine on a much bigger stage.”
Blodgett has seen Knight a couple times this season and is impressed. “She’s certainly thinking about making the transition to the next level,” said Blodgett.
Courtney Anderson, the sharp-shooting guard from Class B Leavitt, is also heading to Orono to play for Blodgett. Anderson will be at the Expo with the No. 2 Hornets at 3:30 p.m. today against Cape Elizabeth.
THE WESTERN Class A girls’ semifinal Friday between Gorham and McAuley will feature teams seeking redemption.
For Gorham, the memory comes from being bounced out of the tournament last year by McAuley. For the Lions, the knowledge they scored only seven points in the second half of a 37-27 loss to Gorham on Feb. 5 is even fresher.
“One of the things we didn’t do against (Gorham) is box out,” McAuley Coach Amy Vachon said. “When we don’t box out we can’t get the rebound and run, and we definitely were a half-court team against Gorham. They played a fantastic 2-3 zone and we really struggled.”
IT’S POSSIBLE that Friday’s showdown will be the last organized basketball game for Mia Rapolla — hard to fathom after watching her drop 34 points on Windham in the quarterfinals. Since she has accepted a lacrosse scholarship from UMass, she knows her basketball days are numbered — probably.
“I really want to play but I don’t know if my (lacrosse) coach is going to let me, just because it’s Division I and it’s constant,” Rapolla said. “If I got the chance to try out I would do it.”
AMY VACHON, coaching her first tournament game, had a big cheering section behind the McAuley bench.
Her father, Paul, the former Cony coach and current athletic director at the Augusta school, led a group of 14 into the Portland Expo to watch McAuley beat South Portland, 52-27. That included mom Debbie, twin brother Aaron, and grandpartents Pat and George St. Pierre.
The only problem, said Paul Vachon, was “we had a hard time finding green (to wear). We all had to go shopping.”
The Vachons have plenty of red — Cony’s color — but couldn’t wear it because that’s also South Portland’s color.
OLD ORCHARD BEACH forward Ryheem Lang hit three of his seven field goals Monday against Monmouth Academy on the turnaround jump shot he worked on all last week.
Lang made one turnaround jumper in the second quarter, when the Seagulls expanded their lead to 26-18, then two in the third quarter of a 62-42 win.
Lang credited work he put in last week for his 7-of-8 shooting.
“I worked on that power dribble, drop step and turn, and on my defense. I didn’t want to foul. I tried to keep that under control,” said Lang, who scored 14 points.
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