Sports Editor
AUGUSTA — Perhaps it was only fitting that Saturday’s State Class D girls basketball championship between Eastern-champ Fort Fairfield and Western-titlist Greenville was an explosive, high-scoring affair.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
STATE CHAMPS — Members of the 2009-2010 state champion Fort Fairfield girls basketball team includes, front row from left, Danielle Tracy, Kacie York, Courtney Churchill, Kelsie Wilson, Amanda Hotham and Brooke Beaulieu; and back, assistant coach Vaughn McLaughlin, assistant coach Dedra Webb, Rebekah Pelkey, Courtney Morgan, Kelsey Turner, Emily Blaisdell, Sydney Churchill, Kellyn McGillan, manager Keegan Watt, manager Aleesha Campbell and coach Larry Gardner.
After all, if a team is going to make history by bringing home the school’s first gold basketball, why not make it happen in a thrilling game filled with numerous memorable moments?
Eastern-champ Fort Fairfield (21-1) did precisely that Saturday afternoon as the Tigers outplayed, out-hustled and out-lasted Greenville 67-59 for the State Class D championship.
Fort Fairfield sophomore sensation Amanda Hotham continued her amazing growth on the court as she overcame an ankle injury to carry the Tigers with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Courtney Churchill added 15 points, while freshman Sydney Churchill had 10.
Pacing Greenville (16-4) were McKenna Peat with 18 points, while Gretel Breton added 16; and Saige Weeks 14.
Coming into the game, Tiger coach Larry Gardner knew Greenville had a strong starting five, but was uncertain what their bench might bring to the game. It turns out the bench was not a factor at all as Greenville did not play a single reserve player until late in the fourth quarter when the game’s outcome had already been decided.
“We knew if we could get to the foul line, we stood a good chance to win,” Gardner said. “I tell the girls every game, ‘Do your job. You all know your roles. Do your job.’”
The Tigers were exceptional at the free throw line, finishing 24 of 27 (89 percent), while Greenville was just 4 of 12 (33 percent) from the line. In fact, the Tigers’ 24 made free throws set a Class D tournament record.
“Obviously, I didn’t put a very good game plan together because we gave up 40 points in the first half,” Gardner said. “To Greenville’s credit they shot the ball incredibly well. Our kids really dug deep in the second half.”
The Tigers changed things up at halftime and decided to play more man-to-man defense against Greenville in an effort to wear the Lakers down. That strategy worked to perfection as the Tigers outscored Greenville 33-19 in the second half as the Lakers players appeared to run out of gas.
“The girls gave it everything they had,” Greenville coach John Jardine said. “You could just see it in their faces. They were drained. We knew it was going to be a tough, physical game. We hadn’t beaten a team with a winning record in over three years. Just to get here is a major accomplishment.”
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
Fort Fairfield senior guard Courtney Churchill takes the ball in against a Greenville defender during Saturday’s Class D state championship contest at the Augusta Civic Center. The Tigers won the game, 67-59, for the school’s first-ever basketball state title.
Jardine said he went away from the press in the second half in hopes of keeping his starting five players fresh for the final quarter.
“We were wearing down a little bit, so we backed off the press to save some energy,” he said. “We were trying to save something for the end.”
Saturday’s game featured several momentum swings, with seven lead changes. The most significant moments came early in the third quarter when Tiger Hotham went down with an injury 30 seconds into the period.
Hotham said she feared her injury might be serious when she crashed to the ground in the third quarter and was landed on by a Greenville player.
“I was like, if this girl took me out, I’m going to cry,” she said. “[The trainer] pushed in certain spots and it didn’t hurt. I think it was just the shock of me going down on it.”
With Hotham out of the lineup, Greenville capitalized turning a 40-36 Laker lead into a 48-37 advantage.
Hotham returned with 4:10 to play and immediately hit a 3-pointer which appeared to jumpstart the Tigers.
“Amanda is just incredible,” Tiger senior Courtney Churchill said. “She can do anything on that court. When she hit that 3-[pointer], it put us ahead. It was unbelievable.”
“After she made that 3-pointer, we were all fired up,” senior Kelsie Wilson added. “We knew that if we worked hard an kept it up, we would have it [the win].”
With Hotham back, the Tigers went on a 12-2 scoring run to regain the lead 52-50 to close out the third quarter. In that run, Courtney Churchill had a layup off a steal; Hotham scored on a nifty baseline move; Brooke Beaulieu made a pair of free throws; Hotham converted an offensive put back; Churchill scored on another layup; and Beaulieu had a short jumper off an inbounds play.
In the fourth quarter, Greenville managed to tie the game at 53-53 with 6:40 to play, but was never able to go back on top of the Tigers.
Churchill said the Tigers focused their attention on Greenville’s Weeks, who ripped off eight quick baskets in the second quarter.
“We had to start face guarding [Weeks] because she was getting easy [baskets],” Churchill said.
Fatigue was an issue for both teams down the stretch, but it impacted Greenville more so as the team did not use any bench players.
“I know I was wearing down slowly because I was working hard, so I knew they [Greenville] were getting tired,” Churchill said. “You could hear their heavy breathing on the floor, and that kind of motivates you to know you are in better shape.”
Saturday’s contest was physical on both ends of the court. Hotham’s injury was not the only hard foul, as Churchill was shoved into the Fort Fairfield bench at one point in the second half.
“It wasn’t anything that I’m not used to,” Churchill said. “You have to get up, wipe it off and act like it didn’t happen. You have to keep going and can’t let it bother you.”
“We were kind of worried about their [Greenville’s] inside game, but we actually found out they had a pretty good outside game too,” Hotham said. “We made some adjustments and they worked.”
Both teams were hot to start the contest, trading basket-for-basket with Fort Fairfield holding an 18-17 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Greenville seized a 40-34 lead at halftime on the strength of its inside-out game.
Not being on the court for the final moments of game was frustrating for Beaulieu, who fouled out with 2:27 to play.
“I was hoping to get a lot more looks at the basket,” Beaulieu said. “But [Weeks] was an amazing player and did a nice job shutting down the inside. Fouling out was disappointing, but hey, we won States, so I won’t even think about that anymore.”
Coach Gardner said he offered his team the following words of wisdom after the victory.
“I told the girls ‘You will never forget this moment,’” Gardner said. “I love these girls to death. It’s a real special group.”
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
Amanda Hotham of the Fort Fairfield Tigers eyes the basket on this layup attempt, while Greenville defender Saige Weeks tries to stop her during Saturday’s state final.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
Danielle Tracy works on cutting down the net as teammate Courtney Morgan looks on after the Tigers’ state title game victory.
