PORTLAND, Maine — The Caribou girls were surely going to lose the Class B state final. Until freshman guard Quinn Corrigan saved the day.
Corrigan stole the ball and was fouled with less than a second left in overtime. She stepped up to the line and knocked down both shots, capping a game for the ages and the first state championship for the Caribou girls since 1983.
The Caribou girls’ previous state championship in 1983 was in Class A.
“I just knew we needed a steal to get in front, and I just read their play,” Corrigan said after the Class B thriller.
“No words, it feels so amazing,” she said.
The Vikings won 49-48 over a Biddeford Tigers team that just would not quit at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Saturday.
Senior guard Madelynn Deprey once again led the way for Caribou with 31 points on the day. But it was Corrigan’s free throws that delivered the improbable victory when it seemed like all hope was lost for the Vikings.
“I’ve never wanted something more. I’ve dreamed about this since I saw my brothers win back-to-back state titles six years ago,” Deprey said after the game. “To be here, to play in this game, was just the biggest blessing ever. It was all I could ask for. And then to win was just unbelievable.”
Deprey said she was “100 percent” sure that Corrigan would knock down those two free throws with the game on the line.
“Quinn thrives in that type of situation,” Deprey said.
Caribou coach Kayla Brown said Corrigan has been big for the Vikings all season long, and wasn’t surprised that she stepped up and hit those shots.
“I’ve known she was capable of that all season long,” Brown said. “You would not know she’s a freshman just by watching her play on the court.”
Brown also credited her star senior, who is a finalist for the Miss Maine Basketball award.
“Madelynn was absolutely outstanding today,” Brown added. “There was no way that she was going to be denied that win today.”
The Vikings matched a tenacious defensive effort from the Tigers, delighting the maroon swarm of Caribou fans who traveled hours to watch both their girls and boys teams compete for Class B titles in Portland on Saturday.
The girls have done their part, with boys next up to take on the Wildcats of York.
Caribou led 31-23 at the end of the third quarter after a layup from Biddeford at the buzzer, and the Tigers looked to have some momentum to start the fourth.
Deprey provided a critical six-point stretch in the fourth quarter, including an offensive rebound followed by a timely and-1 bucket to follow, to push the Caribou lead back to 38-28.
That’s when Biddeford flipped a switch, erasing that lead for Caribou and forcing overtime. The Tigers seemingly took control of the game in extra time, and Deprey’s two free throws in the final seconds appeared to fall just short with the Vikings still down 48-47 and Biddeford with possession of the ball.
Cue the heroics from Corrigan, who stole the inbounds pass and was fouled with .4 seconds left. She calmly stepped up to the line and delivered the championship win for the Vikings.
“The girls just have so much composure, so much fight. All season long really we’ve talked about just grinding it out,” Brown said after the win. “And sometimes we don’t win pretty, but we were able to grind it out. And that’s what happened today. Just when it looked like it might be going the other way, we never gave up.”
Brown said Deprey tried to miss her second free throw at the end of overtime on purpose, in order for her team to have a chance at the rebound. They were still down two points at the time. But that second shot went in accidentally, leading to Corrigan’s incredible steal and free throws.
“I don’t think anybody could have imagined that finish,” Brown said. “It was just absolutely crazy.”
It was a roller coaster of emotions for the Caribou fans as they packed the stadium in Portland, having had to traverse pretty much the entire state to get there.
“It’s amazing. I look up in the crowd behind me, the sea of maroon, just the fans, the strength of the community,” said Caribou Athletic Director Evan Graves after the win. “These girls have worked so hard. It’s years of work.”
He noted the commitment from fans as well.
“And we have people in the stands who have given up a lot of time for this,” Graves added.
One of those fans in attendance Saturday was U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, a Caribou native who spent time congratulating the girls after their win.
Collins said she has seen a lot of basketball games in her life, including the legendary 1969 Caribou game featuring Mike Thurston’s last-minute heroics. But this one topped them all.
“I’ve got to say, I’ve never seen a more exciting game than the Caribou girls game today,” Collins said. “It was extraordinary. And the key was, they never gave up. Even when it looked like the time had run out, they kept playing with such heart.”
