Players to Watch

Nikki Taylor, York forward (16 ppg, 9.4 rpg); Stephanie Gallagher, York guard (13.7 ppg); Courtney Anderson, Leavitt guard (23.1 ppg) Kristen Anderson, Leavitt guard (16 ppg); Adrie Newton, Leavitt forward (17.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg); Tiana-Jo Carter, Lake Region forward (10.1 ppg, 14 rpg), Sydney Hancock, Lake Region guard (8.8 ppg); Ayla Allen, Mountain Valley forward (16.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg); Sara Warnock, Greely forward; Maggie Sabine, Oak Hill forward (17.9 ppg, 13 rpg); Emily Donovan, Cape Elizabeth guard; Meghan Dehetre, Gray-New Gloucester guard.

Favorites

York has produced back-to-back 18-0 regular seasons and took the Class B state title last year. The Wildcats won by an average of 34 points this season and had just two decided by 20 or fewer. Coach Rick Clark is in his 29th year and is just the third coach in Wildcat history. Between that coaching experience and a veteran team, York is going to be tough to beat. The top seeds in Western B have gone 34-1 in the quarterfinals, and are 30-4 in the semifinals.

Leavitt is coming off its best regular season ever. The Hornets have won back-to-back KVAC titles. Leavitt won its games by an average of 39.2 points and only two games were decided by fewer than 14. After losing in the semifinals last year, the Hornets are aiming higher.

Darkhorse

Lake Region will likely have to go through both Leavitt and York to win the regional crown. The Lakers are young but have the kind of team that can cause problems. They have size, great guard play and a tremendous defense. Paul True has coached a few teams up to success in his career also. The third seed in Western B is 14-12 in the semifinal round. Watch for the Lakers to give Leavitt a battle and see if they can earn a rematch with York.

Fun Facts

This is the sixth 18-0 regular season for York, but the Wildcats have only a 2009 regional title and last year’s state crown as a result. … Leavitt averaged 78.7 points per game and allowed 39.5. …  Mountain Valley finished the regular season with seven consecutive wins. … Greely averaged just 31.6 points against. … This is the first non-open tourney appearance for Oak Hill since 1995. … This is Cape’s first trip to a quarterfinal since 1996, when the Capers lost in the regional final for the second consecutive year. … Gray-New Gloucester has reached the quarterfinals 10 consecutive years.

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