AUGUSTA — The first time Abby Weigang saw Nia Irving and Paige Belanger play basketball she could not help but be impressed.
After spending the first two years of her high school career at Orono, Weigang transferred to Lawrence for her junior year. It did not take long for her to notice she had a ways to go to catch up to the level of her new teammates.
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“I hadn’t played at such a competitive level of basketball before because I had previously played in Class C,” Weigang, now a senior, said. “It was really more of a transition year if you will.
“It was unreal when I first saw them play in a game. It was like going and watching like the NBA to me because I had never seen such a great team before. Last year’s team, when I showed up I just thought it was incredible.”
Over the past year Weigang has worked hard to catch up to her peers as they have simultaneously continued to improve. That effort has led to one of the state’s most formidable front courts.
“Definitely a lot of practice,” Belanger said when asked how they have managed to be successful. “In the summer and the offseason…just a lot of practice with each other and getting to know each other on the court and knowing how each other plays.”
That extra time together also brought them closer together.
“We can criticize each other and we know that it’s fine. We’re just trying to make each other better,” Irving said. “We’re all very close and we play together very well, and I just love them on and off the court.”
Given the differences each has in their playing style, meshing as a cohesive unit in the interior is not the kind of thing that happens overnight.
A more traditional post player with both power and finesse, the 6-foot-1 Irving draws the bulk of the attention from opposing defenses and rightfully so. Often times it does little good though. In two Eastern A tournament games she is averaging 30 points per contest.
A 5-foot-9 senior, Belanger — who is in her fourth year starting for the Bulldogs — has enough versatility to play both on the wing and in the post. She has also proven to be a standout defender.
In Wednesday’s 62-52 semifinal win over Brunswick she locked down the opposition’s top scorer, Julie Champagne, in a key stretch in the fourth quarter just when the Dragons had threatened to take the lead.
“(Belanger) shut her down in those last 4 or 5 minutes when it was important,” Lawrence coach John Donato said. “That gave us a chance to get ahead.”
Weigang, meanwhile, is not as polished as Belanger or Irving but is every bit as physically talented. The development of the 6-foot-2 center — who thrives as a rebounder and a shot blocker — from last year to now has been critical to the Bulldogs’ success.
“She’s improved so much. Her layups are so much better, her post moves have improved greatly and it’s so nice,” Irving said. “It’s an easy high-low pass, there’s a lot more options off inbounds plays and she runs the court really well.
“It forces (the opposition) to not take as closer of a look at me because if they put two people on me Abby is open, Paige is open, Jordyn Towers can come in and hit a jump shot. It just frees things up so much more.”
While the trio may be similar in size, their differences allow the Bulldogs to adapt to a number of different styles of play. All three post players run the floor particularly well, which allows Lawrence to push the ball when the opportunity presents itself. At the same time, if the fast break is not there the Bulldogs have the versatitly and cohesion to effectively space the floor in the half court.
“Although all three of us are very similar players and we work well together, we all have our own individual role and we all have our strengths,” Weigang said. “That way someone’s weakness is another one’s strength, and that way when we all put our talents together (we) make a great team.”
Along with the starting backcourt of Dominique Lewis and Towers, the Bulldogs have shown just how strong of a team they are. After a 17-1 regular season, Lawrence won its first two tournament games and will play No. 1 Bangor (19-1) Saturday at 2:30 p.m. for the Eastern A title.
Evan Crawley — 621-5640
ecrawley@mainetoday.com
Twitter: @Evan_Crawley
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