The last few points that Kirsten Prue scored to reach 1,000 may never be forgotten by the standout senior guard.

That’s not only because they helped her achieve a milestone, but because they were some of the toughest points she’s ever scored. Against intense defensive pressure from Morse and Brunswick, the Edward Little all-star finally managed to reach that plateau Tuesday in the third quarter against the Dragons.

Her short jumper in the lane gave her 1,001, making her the fourth female and fifth player overall at EL to reach that milestone. There’s a banner in the gym at Edward Little that honors the 1,000-point scorers. Tammy Paradie, Carolyn Brown and Brittney French are the only other female players on the banner. Troy Barnies is the only male.

“It means a lot,” said Prue, who has been a starting point guard since
her freshman season. “I’m really proud of EL, and it’s great to be able
to be on the wall.”

Prue entered the week needing just 17 points but that wasn’t going to be easy against the Shipbuilders and Dragons. Both are battling for playoff positioning and the chance to prohibit Prue from reaching her milestone served as an extra incentive. Both teams double- and triple-teamed Prue. Though that benefited a balanced Red Eddies team that utilized Prue’s passing skills, it wasn’t conducive to Prue’s scoring opportunities.

“It’s been happening to me for awhile, but I think Brunswick and Morse pressed and trapped me harder because I was so close to 1,000 points. They didn’t want me scoring my 1,000th point on them. I know a few girls on the team, and we were talking before the game, and they said they were trying to keep me from getting it.”

It almost worked. Morse held Prue to just three free throws in the first half Monday. Though EL opened a lead in the second half, Prue still didn’t have many quality scoring chances. She finished with 13. Against Brunswick the following night, she had just two points at halftime.

“I was thinking I just want to get it over with,” said Prue, who coincidentally will play at Bowdoin College in Brunswick next year. “I just wanted to get it done so I could play basketball. I was feeling like I was trying not to be selfish and trying not to force it. So, at times, I think it felt like I was over-passing.”

With a pair of home crowds just waiting to celebrate the milestone, Prue couldn’t help but feel the pressure. She was trying to focus on winning the game, but those final points were still there to be gotten.

“I’m definitely glad it’s over,” she said. “I could feel the pressure. I’d get the ball and could feel the crowd was like ‘Shoot it.’ I was thinking that we need to win the game before I could do that.”

Then in the third quarter, she was at three points and had a short jumper in the lane. When it hit the net, Prue couldn’t help but celebrate. She felt a sense of joy and accomplishment to go with her relief. The game was halted briefly and Prue was presented a game ball.

“It was half and half,” she said. “I was excited that I’d done it but was glad it was done.”

Prue currently leads the KVAC South in scoring (16.6) and in assists (5.0). She’s also second in 3-pointers (21) and sixth in free throw percentage (74 percent). She was the KVAC South Player of the Year last year and certainly a candidate again as EL is in contention for another KVAC championship.The win over Brunswick put EL in the top spot in Eastern A.

“I wasn’t thinking of (1,000 points) coming into high school but when I started averaging what I was as a freshman, I was thinking ‘I could do that,'” she said.

Fantastic Finish in the MVC 

A tight race is shaping up for the two teams that will square off in the Mountain Valley Conference Championship game next month. The top teams in each division, based on Heal Points, will play. Right now, according to the latest standings in Western B and C, Livermore Falls and St. Dom’s would be the pairing.

That only changed in the last 24 hours after St. Dom’s (7-3) beat Hall-Dale, 28-27. Livermore Falls (8-3) had been the top seed in Western C with Hall-Dale (8-2) second.

“Last year there were five or six teams going into the last couple weeks that still had a shot at it,” said Jay coach Chris Bessey.

The sudden shift in the standings this week only hints at another fantastic finish. Though the Andies and Saints would be the pairing right now, there are still six other clubs not too far off from the leaders. In the North Division, Dirigo (8-3), Mountain Valley (7-4), Jay (6-4) and Madison (6-4) are a couple of big wins away from closing the gap on the Andies. With a very deep division, there won’t be a lot of easy wins for any club in the North down the stretch. In the South, Hall-Dale and Lisbon (7-2) are right behind the Saints.

“It’s a tough schedule for us in the North because we play Livermore twice, Dirigo twice, Madison twice and Mountain Valley,” said Bessey. “There are no easy nights.

Jay beat Mountain Valley in the MVC game last year and went on to win the state title. In most years, the winner of the MVC game has gone on to win the regional title in Western C. This year no clear contender has emerged for that tournament either.

“You can look at teams at No. 1 and teams at No. 9 and we’re all fives,” said Dirigo coach Reggie Weston, whose club is ranked third in Western C. “Anybody can beat anybody on any given night.”