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| Staff photo/Joseph Cyr Olivia Doody, the lone senior on this year’s state champion Washburn Beavers, celebrates her team’s victory over Richmond Saturday in Bangor. |
Opportunistic defense leads way in victory over Richmond
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
BANGOR — The Washburn Beavers closed down the Bangor Auditorium in style Saturday morning, and the result was a third consecutive Class D state championship.
The youthful Beavers, with only one senior on the roster, used their quickness to disrupt Richmond with both fullcourt pressure and halfcourt traps. The Bobcats ended up turning the ball over 15 times in the first quarter and 45 times in the entire contest, and although Richmond made a couple second-half runs, they succumbed to Washburn, 75-55, for the third consecutive time in the state finals.
“We worked on double-teaming and taking away the next easiest pass and leaving long passes open,” said sophomore guard Mackenzie Worcester. “We’re quick enough to get to those passes and that creates turnovers and fast-break opportunities for us.”
With the win, the Beavers became the only girls’ basketball team to win three consecutive Class D state titles. A couple other milestones were established, as Washburn tied a Class D state record for points in a game and Worcester scored the 1,000th point of her career on a free throw that came with 4:15 left in the third quarter.
The Beavers wasted little time in taking control of the game. Forcing 10 turnovers over the first five minutes of the game, coach Diana Trams’ team went out to a 14-2 lead. Junior Carsyn Koch scored five of the early points, the first two on a short jumper off an inbounds pass 30 seconds into the game. Carmen Bragg, Joan Overman and Koch all had transition layups following Richmond miscues during the stretch, while Worcester scored off an inbounds play and both Koch and Overman canned free throws during the fast start.
The Bobcats got within six points (15-9) after two free throws by senior forward Ciarra Lancaster with 1:33 left in the opening quarter, but Washburn bounced back by scoring seven unanswered points and 11 of the next 13, beginning with 1:15 to go in the first and ending with 5:02 left in the second. Worcester got into an offensive rhythm and scored eight points to lead her team’s attack.
“They would make their runs, but I always knew we would be able to get back into our game and take control and get back to playing our pace, which is what happened,” Worcester said.
Freshman Kelsea Anair then went on a surge of her own for Richmond. She scored the final eight points of the first half for her squad, getting back to within 10 (29-19) with 2:20 left. However, Olivia Doody’s layup with three seconds left before intermission put the Beavers back up by 15.
The Bobcats started strong in the third quarter behind senior standout Jamie Plummer, who exploded for eight points in the first three minutes of the period to make it 40-32 in favor of Washburn.
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| Staff photo/Joseph Cyr Carmen Bragg of the Beavers takes the ball in for a layup against Richmond’s Jamie Plummer during Saturday’s 75-55 victory. |
Once again, the Beavers were able to answer with 11 consecutive points. Worcester’s conventional three-point play (and 1,000th point) opened the rally and junior Nicole Olson ended it with a transition layup that came with just 35 seconds left in the third.
“It’s a great memory I’ll be able to keep with me and it’s great to get it during the final Class D game on this floor,” Worcester said of her 1,000th point, “but it’s even better to have such great teammates who get me the ball … they are so supportive and don’t mind me shooting — they’ll even tell me when I need to shoot more.”
The never-say-die Bobcats had one final run in them. The 18-9 surge began with Plummer’s conventional three-point play with three seconds left in the quarter and ended with a three and a layup by Lancaster that came on consecutive possessions midway through the fourth. Washburn’s Carmen Bragg had seven of her team’s points, including a three-pointer, to allow her team to retain the lead.
Ahead by 10 points, the Beaver were able to build a cushion once again on the strength of accurate foul shooting. The team hit nine of 10 attempts in the final 3-1/2 minutes, with Bragg’s two free throws with 42 seconds remaining putting the team at 75 in the game and tying the 2002 Woodland team for the ‘D’ state final scoring record.
“They are an athletic team, are well versed and know each other well, anticipate each other well and know where everyone is on the floor,” said Richmond coach Molly Bishop of the Beavers. Balanced scoring, like it has been throughout the regular season and the playoffs, continued Saturday. Worcester tallied 20 points, Bragg 16, Olson 14, Overman nine, Koch seven and Doody five.
Plummer scored 22 points and Lancaster totaled 14 to lead the Western Maine champion Richmond team, which ended up 17-4.
“My kids had a better idea of what they were getting into and I thought we played pretty well,” Bishop said. “We’d go on these runs, but they always had an answer.”
“They did well,” Overman said of the Bobcats’ effort. “They definitely worked hard and it was definitely more work for us and one of our tougher games.”
Washburn finished the season with a 22-0 record and the team is 63-3 combined in the three championship seasons.
“You’ve got to give it to Washburn,” Bishop said. “They are a great group of athletes, classy young ladies who played really well.”
Trams said her first season as the team’s coach was satisfying.
“It’s been a good fit. The girls are really competitive and want to win and I’m the same way,” Trams said, “but I want them to have fun doing it.
“They come to practice and they work hard every day and not only are they gifted athletes, but they are knowledgable about the game and that’s been really fun for me.”
