For Lawrence, scoring 60 points is nothing unusual. Neither is Thornton giving up 30 points.
Lawrence is partly known for its defense, but Thornton’s statistics are at a slightly higher level. The Golden Trojans scored 43, 42, and 41 points in their three Western A tournament games — and they still won each game by at least 10 points, thanks to a defense that allowed 30 points per game. That’s the defense Lawrence will be facing when the Bulldogs go for their first girls basketball Gold Ball since 1994 in the Class A final at 3:05 p.m. Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center.
Additional Images
“I’ve seen about five, six tapes on them,” Lawrence coach John Donato said. “They’re very, very good, especially defensively. They’re quick. They’re tall. They’re aggressive.”
“I think we’ve established a mentality that we want to make every possession a difficult one,” Thornton coach Eric Marston said. “We approach it as 5 on 1 — there’s five defenders, and one ball. I think everyone’s embraced that concept.”
Lawrence (20-1) had three of the top nine scorers in Eastern A this season, led by Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Player of the Year Nia Irving, a 6-foot-1 center. Dominique Lewis and Paige Belanger also averaged better than 12 points per game for the Bulldogs this season, and Morgan Boudreau and Abby Weigang help with the offense as well.
“Obviously, Nia Irving’s a tremendous factor in this game,” Marston said. “The more touches she gets, the better chance they have to score, because she’s such a dominating force inside.
“But we know you’ve got to pick your poison with them, because they have a number of tough guards who can shoot the ball. It’s a balancing act for us.”
For Thornton (19-2), 6-1 forward Victoria Lux and 5-7 guard Kaitlyn McCrum were both named among the 10 semifinalists in the state for the Miss Basketball award. Lux is gunning for her fourth Gold Ball, as she won three at McAuley before transferring to Thornton this season. Alex Hart has also been a big factor as a freshman.
“We’ve got to handle their pressure,” Donato said. “Their guard pressure is probably the best we’ve seen. The Hart girl and the McCrum girl are very strong defensive players. If we can handle their guard pressure, I think we can have a good chance of winning.”
Marston said in Thornton’s Western A run, the scoring was well-balanced.
“We’ve had kids who put up 10 or 15 (points), and the whole tournament, it’s been somebody different,” he said.
Lawrence’s tournament win included a 21-point win over Messalonskee before coming from behind to defeat Brunswick, then edging out Bangor in the final seconds. While none of the Bulldogs had been past the semifinals before, they certainly showed their poise in the final two games.
“We proved a lot this year,” Donato said. “We have something more to prove in this game.”
Matt DiFilippo — 861-9243
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Comments are no longer available on this story