Sports Reporter
FORT FAIRFIELD – Undefeated after 14 games last year, the Tiger girls basketball team finished off a brilliant season by making it all the way to the Eastern Maine Class D championship game, where they lost to the Woodland Dragons.
Staff photo/Kevin Sjoberg
Amanda Hotham hones in on the basket during Fort Fairfield’s game against Wisdom Thursday, played at FFHS. The Tigers are 14-0 heading into tonight’s game against No. 1 Central Aroostook.
This year, Fort Fairfield is again sporting a perfect record through 14 games and is one of just two undefeated girls teams in EM (Class A Skowhegan is the other). Coach Larry Gardner said this year’s squad is motivated from the 2009 playoff run.
“There is certainly some carry-over from last year,” he said. “The kids were disappointed with the Woodland loss and want to go a little further.”
Kelsie Wilson is one of the team’s two seniors and serves as co-captain of the Tigers. The starting guard said she likes her team’s abilities both inside and along the perimeter, but noted chemistry has been the key so far.
“We have really good bonding,” Wilson said. “The whole team works really well together and we know everyone’s strong points.”
Wilson added that much was learned in the loss to the Dragons that the team can take into this year’s tournament play.
“We know we have to be both mentally and physically tough,” she said. “Those are the big things as well as playing as a team.”
Starting point guard Courtney Churchill, the other senior and co-captain, said being unbeaten makes the Tigers a target for opposing teams. But last year’s exploits in the post-season has the players hungry for more success.
“Everyone in our starting lineup played on the Bangor Auditorium floor last year and we all want the same thing again,” Churchill said. “We want to be the first team to bring home the gold ball.”
The veteran coach said even though his team has an unblemished mark, his team is not without flaws and he’d like to shore things up before the tournament begins in 2-1/2 weeks.
“We recently had Katahdin and Hodgdon both on the road, and we didn’t play really well in either game,” Gardner said. “We were down by seven at the half to Katahdin and struggled some against Hodgdon too.”
Wilson said improvements can certainly be made on the defensive end of the floor.
“We have to work out cutting down on the fouls, moving our feet on defense and talking to each other on the floor,” Wilson said.
As a freshman, Amanda Hotham broke out with a stellar effort in last year’s post-season. Churchill said Hotham, who has led the team in scoring in 12 of the team’s 14 games, has not suffered a sophomore jinx and is a big key for any success the team may experience the rest of the way.
“She can box out, rebound, post up, shoot foul shots … she’s amazing at every aspect,” Churchill said.
Gardner said he expected to put together another good record, but wasn’t sure about being undefeated again this late in the season.
“We knew we were returning our point guard (Churchill), our leading scorer (Hotham) and our starting center (Brooke Beaulieu),” he said, “but we are still trying to figure things out.”
Fort Fairfield had no trouble at home Thursday against Wisdom. Sydney Churchill came off the bench to drain six three-point field goals and finished with 22 points as the Tigers rolled to the 72-26 victory.
Danielle Tracy got the Tigers going by hitting a corner jumper on the team’s first possession. Kayla Guerrette scored an inside bucket to knot the score at 2, but then Fort went on an 8-0 run over the next 2 minutes and 18 seconds to seize control.
Wilson had two field goals and Hotham, the Tigers’ leading scorer on the season with 18 ppg, notched a basket and two foul shots as part of the run. Fort ended up taking a 27-6 lead into the second quarter and the lead grew from there.
Hotham had 14 points and Tracy added eight for the Tigers. Guerrette’s nine points were tops for the Pioneers.
The Tigers also bested Van Buren Friday, 58-33, with Sydney Churchill again leading the attack with 15 points, including three more three-pointers.
In a 48-36 victory at Hodgdon last Tuesday, Hotham scored 20 points and Tracy added 12 more to lead the way.
In the latest win, played Monday at home against Easton, Hotham scored 16 points and Beaulieu netted 15 more as the Tigers dominated in the 51-37 triumph. Ariana Babineau’s 15 points paced the Bears, who fell to 6-9.
