WESTBROOK — Brunswick Coach Sam Farrell said before the girls’ basketball season that it was going to take time for his team to jell.
After one game, chemistry doesn’t seem to be an issue for the Dragons.
Emily Doring hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points, newcomer Maddy Werner scored 13 and finished a steal shy of a triple-double, and Brunswick opened its season with a 75-31 victory over Westbrook.
“We’ve had some great practices,” Farrell said, “and it’s amazing how well great practices turn into cohesive games.”
Brunswick, which has made three of the last four Class A South finals, returned 10 players but graduated 1,000-point scorer Logan Brown. The Dragons also have a pair of Morse transfers in Werner and Dakota Shipley in the starting lineup. It couldn’t have looked much smoother Friday, as Brunswick’s defense swarmed the ball wherever it went and pressured Westbrook into turnovers.
“We matched up and moved when the ball was moving,” Farrell said. “The biggest thing we talk about is when the ball moves, all five players have to move. It’s really hard to attack when we’re all moving together, using our length.”
The 5-10 Werner looked right at home in the Dragons’ defense, plucking passes on the perimeter and playing tough defense down low. She finished with 10 rebounds.
“It felt really good as a team, and just how I did with everyone,” Werner said. “I just felt good overall.”
Doring, Kelsie Carlton and Kyra Fortier led the defense on the perimeter, while the 6-foot Shipley, Sophia Morin, Alexis Morin (11 points) and Abigail St. Pierre took turns challenging shots inside.
“You could see the senior leadership, where Kelsie Carlton and Sophia Morin definitely showed that they’re the leaders of that team,” Farrell said. “As they went, so did we.”
John Young, Westbrook’s first-year coach, said the combination of pressure and length was difficult for his young team to handle. The Blue Blazes started a freshman and two sophomores, and were adjusting to the losses of forward Leah Cromarty, out with an ankle injury, and speedy guard Jorden Staples, who suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason.
“We were nervous going in, and that’s a real good team,” Young said. “It’s a learning thing. We talked about that. We want to be better at the end of the year than we are at the beginning of the year.”
Transition offense helped Brunswick build a 33-11 halftime lead, but the Dragons also caught fire from outside. Brunswick hit 10 3-pointers, with Doring leading the way.
“As soon as I hit the first 3, I just knew I was on, and just kept shooting,” said Doring, a junior. “We’re pretty good from the 3s.”
Sophomore Taylar Hodge led Westbrook with nine points. Natalie LaBrie added eight.
“They have some grit, and we’re cohesive,” Young said. “We’ll get there. I think we’ll surprise some teams. … It’s just hard to start against Brunswick.”
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