Staying on top

Melissa Paione, last year’s Sun Journal swimmer of the year as an Edward Little freshman, hasn’t slowed down at all. Paione already has registered the second-fastest 100-yard breaststroke time in the state this winter, trailing only Samantha Couillard of Scarborough.

Paione’s time of 1:10.17 is just under two seconds quicker than her state-qualifying effort of 2009.

“She’s not going anywhere,” said Edward Little coach Scott Morrison.

EL edged Messalonskee by two points Friday night, a verdict that should sew up second place in the KVAC for the dual-meet season.

“It’s good to have some athletes,” Morrison said. “There were some years when it wasn?t always like that.”

Prue Through?

Edward Little’s all-star guard Kirsten Prue may be out for the season. She missed Friday’s showdown at Messalonskee with a foot injury. According to Coach Craig Jipson, the team will know more about the senior’s status next week.

Prue recently scored her 1,000th point for EL and is among the leaders in just about every catagory in the KVAC South. She’s first in points (15.3) and assists (4.8) and third in 3-pointers (24) and fifth in free throw percentage (73 percent).

The Bowdoin-bound standout is the primary ballhandler for the defending KVAC champs, currently ranked second in Eastern A.

With Prue out of the lineup, EL still managed to hang tough with the defending Eastern A champs from Messalonskee. The Eagles won Friday 59-52.

Tourney Talk

After winning 10 games last year and narrowly missing the playoff berth in Western B, the Oak Hill girls’ basktball team is trying to avoid a similar fate. The Raiders are currently ranked 10th and the top nine reach the tournament. Coming off Friday’s 48-41 win over Maranacook, the Raiders managed to stay within reach but finish the year with MCI, Gardiner, Lincoln Academy, Medomak Valley and Leavitt. Only the latter two teams have winning records.

“They’re worth some points,” said Oak Hill coach Tom Morong of the win over the Black Bears. “They have five wins. Gray-New Gloucester, who is just ahead of us in the Heals lost (Thursday). I don’t think this puts us by them, but it puts us in the conversation.”