Firecracker Clement Goes 3-0 in Vermont
The 15u Maine Firecrackers made the picturesque haul to Burlington VT this weekend for the 2013 Lone Wolf Summer Shoot Out at St Michael’s College. Lone Wolf is the premier girls AAU tournament in Vermont and has produced dozens of outstanding college players so their tournament attracts many of the top teams in the Northeast along with a plethora of colleges coaches including UVM, Maine, Marist, Holy Cross, UNH, Sienna, URI, Albany, Stonehill, Assumption, SNHU, Colby, Bowdoin, and USM, to name just a few.
Game one was a matchup of the Firecrackers 15u vs Lone Wolf 15u. Two quick baskets by Jess Willerson and soft runner by Katie McCrum got the Maine girls off to a quick 6-4 lead that the Firecrackers never relinquished. Though managing only 20 points in the first half, the stifling Firecracker defense limited Lone Wolf to just 11. The second half was physical and hard fought with the Firecrackers managing a 31-19 victory but it came at a major cost as they lost Victoria “Mama Bear” Lux for the remaining two games with a sprained ankle. When she left midway through the second period, Lux had contributed 9 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists while generally owning the paint area. Already playing without standout Ashley “Stretch” Storey, the Maine girls quickly became very thin in the post. Willerson led all scorers with 10, Lux 9, Sarah Clement 4, McCrum 3, Dalphonse and Hamilton 2, along with a foul shot and solid all around effort from standout freshman Emily Esposito.
In the second game, the Firecrackers jumped out to a 10-0 lead against the Quebec Slam and never looked back. This was a game that probably shouldn’t have been scheduled but in the interest of good diplomatic relations with Canada(staunch allies in World Wars I and II) the Americans dialed back their defensive pressure and managed the score. The final was 57-14 but could have been much more lopsided. Sarah Clement led all scorers with 15 and had a highlight around the back pass to Dalphonse. Willerson was a force inside with 13, McCrum 11, incoming 8th grade star in the making, Alex Hart 5, Emily Esposito and Margaret Rigney 4 each, while Abby Hamilton added a jump shot on a Dalphonse assist.
In the final game of the day the Firecrackers again seized an early lead with 2 baskets each from freshmen Willerson and Clement, but the NH Shooting Stars responded and at halftime the Mainers clung to a one point lead. This game remained close and the Shooting Stars took the lead at 35-32, but Abby Hamilton stepped-up in the clutch and made 2 consecutive 3’s to recapture the lead. When NH cut the lead to 38-37, Sarah Clement knocked down a pull-up jumper in traffic to extend it to 3. The Firecrackers executed down the stretch, before a cheap shot to the kidney on Hamilton, put her on the line in pain with 31 seconds left, and a 2 point lead. True to her clutch nature, Hamilton hit nothing, but net on both of them and Sarah Clement followed with one of 2 with 14 seconds left to seal the deal.
Hamilton and Clement were the leading scorers with 12 each, Willerson had 7 (8 rebounds), McCrum a great all around effort with 5 points and 6 rebounds, while Dalphonse played tremendous on ball defense adding 4 points assists and steals each. The “Pups” (Esposito, Lish Aube, and Alex Hart) gave key minutes and all did a terrific job showing yet again they can contribute meaningfully at this level.
The team set the goal of finishing 3-0 and in spite of playing the final game of the day with 8 players and the Shooting Stars substituting 5 at a time, they showed a lot of grit and where very determined to win the game for their beloved teammate Lux, who has had their backs so many times.