Caribou High School’s Madelynn Deprey, Penobscot Valley High of Howland’s Rylee Moulton and Central Aroostook of Mars Hill’s Lilly Burtt led their respective teams to regional girls basketball championships and were the recipients of the Owen Osborne Most Valuable Player award in their respective classes.
All three are guards.
Deprey is a senior, Moulton is a junior and Burtt is a sophomore.
The award was established in 1994 in memory of the late former Bangor Daily News sports editor and columnist.
The teams are selected by media members and tournament officials who watched games in Bangor during the regional competition.
Deprey guided the Class B North Vikings to their first regional title since 1984; Moulton piloted the Howlers to their first C North crown since 2019 and Burtt’s performance helped Central Aroostook claim its first D North championship since 1993.
In addition, Penobscot Valley senior guard Ellie Austin became one of the few players who earned all-tournament honors throughout her four-year high school career.
Deprey was joined on the Class B all-tournament team by Caribou teammate Liv Adams, a junior forward; John Bapst of Bangor senior guard Claire Gaetani, Eskine Academy of South China sophomore guard-forward Kelsie Dunn and Ellsworth senior forward Addison Atherton.
Accompanying Moulton on the C North team were Penobscot Valley teammates Austin and sophomore guard Brooklynn Raymond, along with Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln juniors Addison Cyr and Megan House. Cyr is a forward and House is a guard.
Burtt was joined on the D North all-tourney by Central Aroostook teammate Harleigh Allen, a junior guard; junior forward Harlee Sprague and sophomore guard Addyson Freeman from Schenck High School of East Millinocket, and Wisdom High of St. Agatha junior guard Ava Lerman.
Class B
Deprey had a memorable tournament for the Vikings to earn a third consecutive all-tourney berth.
She poured in 21 points in a quarterfinal win over Presque Isle and followed that with 17 points, 13 rebounds and four steals in the semifinal win over Ellsworth before capping things off off with 18 points, nine rebounds, a game-high seven assists and two steals in the championship game victory over Erskine Academy.
Deprey also did an excellent job handling the ball and on the defensive side as well, using her athleticism and long reach to spearhead Caribou’s full-court pressure and force turnovers.
Adams, like Deprey, scored in double figures in all three tourney games. She averaged 15.7 points per game. She had 12 points against Presque Isle, 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals against Ellsworth and went 9-for-10 from the foul line and had 18 points and eight rebounds vs. Erskine Academy.
Adams had six points in a 14-0 first-quarter run by the Vikings in the title game and six more in a 10-3 spurt in the second period.
Dunn scored in double figures in all three games for Erskine Academy including 11 points in the final along with three rebounds and two steals. She played a pivotal role in the semifinal win over John Bapst with 17 points, six rebounds and two steals.
She finished with 41 points in three games.
Gaetani, making her first ever appearance in a quarterfinal, lit up the scoreboard to the tune of 35 points in the quarterfinal upset win over Old Town. She also had six rebounds and two steals. She had 17 points, six rebounds and three steals in the semifinal loss to Erskine Academy.
Gaetani made sure the Crusaders got to play in the tournament by leading them to a preliminary round win over Washington Academy with 30 points, 12 rebounds, eight steals and five assists.
Atherton scored 12 points in each of her two tourney games, leading the Eagles to a quarterfinal win over Mount Desert Island and enabling the Eagles to remain within striking distance late in their loss to Caribou after having lost by 43 to Caribou in one of their regular season games.
She also had seven rebounds and two steals against Caribou.
Class C
Moulton had a terrific regional tournament for the Howlers, averaging 23.3 points per game and setting a record with nine 3-pointers in the win over Calais. That is the most in a North tournament game among all classes.
She finished with 33 points and also had five rebounds and five steals.
She had 12 points, three rebounds and three steals in the title game win over Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln. Moulton had scored 25 in the quarterfinal win over Central of Corinth.
Austin averaged 17.7 points in their three tournament wins and was also a force on the boards and on the defensive side of the ball with her length and anticipation She had 10 points and seven rebounds in the final after collecting 20 points and seven rebounds vs. Calais.
She had pumped in 23 points vs. Machias.
Raymond scored at least 12 points in all three games and was PVHS’s leading scorer against Mattanawcook with 13 points to go with five rebounds and two steals. She had 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists vs. Calais and 12 points vs. Machias.
Cyr had a terrific tournament for the Lynx, averaging 21 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocked shots. She was a dominant force in the paint and scored with a variety of nifty moves inside while also hitting a handful of mid-range jumpers. She altered shots with her size and length.
Cyr had 14 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks in a memorable performance against Penobscot Valley in the final.
It is her second straight all-tourney selection.
House’s outside game nicely complemented Cyr’s inside game. House averaged 16.7 points per game. She had 11 points and five rebounds vs. Penobscot Valley after a superb all-around game against defending state champ Dexter in which she had 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Cyr and House each had 23 points in the quarterfinal win over Machias.
Class D
Burtt had an exceptional tournament capped by her late-game heroics against Schenck of East Millilnocket in the regional final.
With the game hanging in the balance. Burtt had two steals, a crucial offensive rebound, an assist and a three throw over the final 1:23 to secure a 43-40 win. She finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, seven steals and two assists.
She had 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and three assists in a win over Jonesport-Beals and 18 points in a win over Wisdom.
Allen averaged 11 points per game in the tourney including 10 points in the final to go with eight rebounds and three steals and scored 20 in the win over Jonesport-Beals with nine steals and eight rebounds.
Sprague averaged 10 points per game for the Schenck Wolverines including a game-high 16 points in the loss to Central Aroostook in the regional title game. She also had a game-high 10 rebounds. She had two blocks and two assists in the final, also.
Teammate Freeman produced four points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots in the final after she had a game-high 12 points in the semis as the fifth-seeded Wolverines upset top seed Bangor Christian.
Lerman set a girls tournament record among all classes by sinking 18 free throws in a quarterfinal win over Ashland. She went 18-for-20. She finished with 22 points to go with five rebounds and three steals.
She had a team-high 13 points in a semifinal loss to Central Aroostook.
