Renne Hicks of Morse, left, fires a pass as Grace Houghton of Lincoln Academy defends during a Jan. 28 game at Bath Middle School. Eli Canfield/The Times Record
The streak is over, and for the Morse girls basketball team, it’s good riddance, too.
The Shipbuilders snapped a 46-game losing skid — a stretch that covered a little more than three years — when they edged Lincoln Academy 52-45 on Monday in Newcastle.
It marked the first victory for coach Jeannine Paradis, who is in her second year at the helm.
“It was a great team win and something this group of seniors have waited a long time for,” said Paradis.
Morse last was victorious on Jan. 25, 2018, when it sank Mt. Ararat 53-37.
Dakota Shipley, who scored a game high 14 points and had seven steals, paced Morse. Julia Goddard had 12 points, Abby Carpenter added 11, and Maddy Werner had 12 rebounds.
“We had some great defensive stops and played the way we wanted to,” Paradis said.
Added Morse senior guard Mary LaRochelle, who scored four points Monday: “Getting that first win after three long years felt so surreal. Coming off the court and being surrounded by every player and coach on our team and to be able to celebrate all of our hard work finally paying off, it felt so incredible.”
LaRochelle aded the team isn’t satisfied.
“The goal is to keep going upwards, and to not drop down after this one victory. Our motto for this season has been to ‘be better’, and that’s what we want to do,” she said. “We’ll keep working hard and see what more we can accomplish.”
MORSE BOYS BASKETBALL PROGRESSING: The Morse boys basketball team is coming off its third win, after defeating Lincoln Academy 65-40 in Bath behind a 26-point night from Gabe Aucoin.
It was a season-high for Aucoin, who left the previous game after a hard fall going for a loose ball.
The Shipbuilders are preparing for a rematch with Mt. Ararat, who pulled out a buzzer-beater 43-41 last week. The teams meet Feb. 22 with the boys hosting and the girls playing in Topsham.
BOBCATS FINDING WAY: The Richmond basketball teams are finding their way after several postponements and scheduling changes this year.
“We’ve only played two varsity games so far, but it’s been fun to watch the girls grow in the little amount of time we’ve had,” said Richmond girls basketball head coach Mike Ladner. “Our biggest challenge has been finding a role for everyone on the team and our lack of experience.”
The Bobcats are playing with one senior, Macy Carver, and a lot of the younger players on this years’ roster.
“I’ve just been trying to keep an open-mind and help the younger players get comfortable and gain experience,” said Carver, who led the Bobcats with 14 points in their 36-28 loss to Boothbay on Feb. 11. “We’ve clicked together well considering the circumstances surrounding the season.”
Hall-Dale sophomore Carter Bourque, left, defends Mt. Ararat sophomore Ty Henke during a game last Saturday in Farmingdale. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
One of the biggest differences in basketball around the state this season is playing in front of no crowds. For Carver, it’s not all a wash.
“Honestly with the stands being empty, there are a lot of pros and cons,” said Carver. “It’s a little less nerve wracking with everyone there watching the game, or people heckling us from the stands, but it’s also sad not being able to see the physics support there for us.”
The Richmond boys basketball team is progressing as well.
“Our guys have been great. They come to practice every day to work hard and get better at something,” said head coach Jason Cassidy, whose team is 1-1. “Basketball gives them some sense of normalcy and they seem to really appreciate the time they get to spend together as teammates and with their coaches.”
MTA BASKETBALL TEAMS IN A GROOVE: The Mt. Ararat basketball teams are enjoying a return to competition after their seasons were paused for two weeks in early February.
“It’s been nice to get back in a rhythm,” said Mt. Ararat girls basketball coach Julie Petrie. “Consistency and playing with a high level of energy has been our focus as we return to our routine.”
The girls program had to quarantine for a week before the two-week pause, meaning they were out of action for the better part of three weeks. However, the Eagles are back on the court and riding a three-game winning streak after victories over Morse, Hall-Dale and Edward Little.
“The attitude and work ethic that each girl on the team brings is the biggest reason that this team is amazing,” said Mt. Ararat senior guard Jaden Lohr, who scored 18 points in the win over Edward Little on Monday. “We could’ve given up after our three weeks off but we didn’t, and now our hard work is paying off.”
Hall-Dale sophomore Carter Bourque shoots during a game against Mt. Ararat on Saturday in Farmingdale. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal Buy this Photo
MTA boys basketball coach Dave Dubreuil is still looking for his team’s conditioning to improve, but is pleased to see where the team stands.
“We are getting better day-by-day, and our conditioning will come back to us as we keep on playing,” said Dubreuil, whose team is coming off a 1-2 week with losses to Hall-Dale and Edward Little.
The Eagles next take on Freeport on Thursay, with the boys on the road and the girls at home.
DRAGONS SETTLING IN: The Brunswick boys and girls teams have played three games in the past week after a late start to the season.
“I don’t think we’ve fully caught up with our lost time yet,” said Brunswick girls junior guard Logan Brown. We are getting there and so far we’ve been taking advantage of the time we’ve had together.”
The girls are coming off wins last week against Freeport, before falling at Yarmouth on Monday.
The Brunswick boys dropped two games to the Falcons before beating Yarmouth.
“This is what we’ve been waiting for since last season,” said Brunswick head coach Todd Hanson after the win.
The Dragons were led by sophomore Quinn McCaffrey and senior standout Evan Kilfoil, who scored 18 and 10 points, respectively.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
