Firecrackers win both on day one of 8th-grade AAU Nationals

Final game of pool play against Avalon (FL) at 5:55 PM Sunday

After registration, a mobbed dance party, loads of pasta, and opening ceremonies Thursday, the Maine Firecrackers had an early wake up call from House Warden Lori Hamilton for their 8:00 game at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando against Florida Pace, who calls the Panhandle home.

The game started out sloppy, with the Mainers showing rust with limited time playing together over the past three weeks. After a couple of missed bunnies that seemed a result of excess adrenaline, Brooke Obar got the Orange on the scoreboard with a nifty floater and then followed that up with 2 fouls shots. After 2 Julz Colby steals and assists to Serena Mower for baskets, the Firecrackers led 12-2. Madison Blanche was first off the bench today and responded with her regular strong defense and 2 elbow jumpers that tickled the twine and Emily Huntington immediately knocked in a long three to push the Firecrackers lead to 19-2 after one quarter. Baskets by Gabrielle Wener, Hope Olson, and Camille Clement in the second quarter got the girls off to an efficient start and the Firecrackers led 35-5 at halftime. In a game where the Mainers never pressed and there is a 30 second shot clock, it was a challenge to manage the score other than prohibiting fast breaks and giving the bench the majority of the minutes. In the end, the scoreboard read 69-14 in a game that probably shouldn’t have been scheduled.

Brooke Obar led the Firecrackers with 19 points, Serena Mower had 12, and Camille Clement 10. Maggie Whitmore played less than half the game in an attempt to heal her injured heel but still contributed 8 rebounds, 6 points, and 5 assists. Jacqueline Hamilton was the most physical player on the court while hauling down 8 rebounds of her own to go with 6 points. Wener added 5 points and Madison Blanche continued her efficient shooting by going 2 for 2 for 4 points. Hope Olson was active on both sides of the ball with 6 rebounds and 4 points, and Huntington added energetic defense and a beautiful 3.

For the first time this season Julz Colby was held scoreless in limited minutes but nontheless played well with 5 assists, 4 steals, and 4 rebounds.

Game 2 featured Maine against the talented Cincy Swish, winners of their last four tournaments and 3rd place finishers at AAU Nationals in 2015. Cincy had excellent guard play and was fundamental with thick Barkleyesque post players who could shoot the 3, enabling them to spread the floor and pull the longer Firecrackers (Wener 6’1″, Olson 5’11”, Hamilton 5’11”, and Whitmore 5’10”) out of rebounding position and minimizing a height advantage for Maine.

True to their name, the Swish nailed a long three to start the game but Maggie Whitmore answered with a point blank 2 off “Twin” and the Firecrackers switched to their trapping man to man defense, with Julz Colby causing a turnover leading to an Obar steal, Obar assist, and Serena Mower layup for a 4-3 Firecracker lead that they would maintain for most of the game. Cincy dropped back into their extended 2:3 zone when Obar notched one of her 6 assists from the high post to a cutting Maggie “Stonewall” Whitmore, who came out from the other side of the rim for a beautiful reverse layup in traffic. When Julz Colby picked the Cincy point guard like a Casco Bay lobster claw and went coast to coast for a left hand layup the Firecrackers led 9-4. After a Swish put-back and foul shot making it 9-7 Madison Blanche maintained her perfect shooting percentage for the day (3-3) with a long 2 after excellent ball movement and final pass from Gabrielle Wener to make it 11-7.

Cincy then made a run of their own to tie the game at 12 before Wener found an open Camille Clement, who connected on a deep 3 and end of first quarter 15-12 lead. The second quarter was more of the same but the Firecrackers defense was the difference and they extended to a 30-23 lead. By the end of 3 the team whose home state boasts the heaviest President in US History (Taft) closed the gap to 45-40. Though the temperature in Orlando in July is warm enough to bake cookies on your windowsill, the Firecrackers started off the 4th quarter colder than mailboxes in Fort Kent during February. On most possessions they got good shots but were unable to connect on any for the first 6 minutes and the Swish crept to a 46-45 lead prompting a Maine timeout. As long faces approached the bench making Coach Clement wonder if someone told them Santa was dead, a “spirited” one way conversation ensued about mental toughness before Brooke Obar put her big girl pants on and took the lead back on a corner 3. Though it was tight in the final 3 minutes Cincy managed just one foul shot and Maine countered with a deep 2 by Obar followed by a nail in the coffin floater from Maggie Whitmore for a 52-47 win, putting the Firecrackers in the drivers seat for their final pool play game at 5:55 Sunday against the Avalon (FL) Lady Warriors.

This one was a hard fought and gritty win between two good teams. The Firecrackers led in 95% of the game but the biggest lead was just 9. Scoring was balanced with 11 from Mower, 10 from Whitmore (6 rebounds), 9 each from Colby (4 steals) and Obar (6 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals). Wener added 5 (including a critical 3 late in the third), Clement 3, Hamilton 3, and Blanche 2.

Congratulations to the YES! 8th graders on a comeback win in their first pool play game today. The Firecrackers were able to cheer for them in the final 4 minutes after the completion of their own game. There are 33 teams from across the country (Kentucky, Minnesota, Georgia, and Virginia, to name a few) competing in AAU Division II Nationals. In 2008 the Mainers finished 14th in the 8th grade division and in 2009 they finished 2nd (out of 68 teams). Coach Briggs has won three division II 9th grade titles for Maine since 2007.