BANGOR — Paige Dennison made an emphatic prediction on Vinalhaven’s first day of practice last November.

“Paige Dennison was like, ‘we’re going to win the gold ball, Sandy,’” Gilleyanne Davis-Oakes said of the proclamation to Vikings coach Sandy Nelson.

Whether by wishful thinking or an acute awareness of her team’s potential, Dennison was proven right on Saturday.

Davis-Oakes used her slippery moves in the lane to score a game-high 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds on Saturday afternoon, leading Vinalhaven to a 55-44 victory over Shead of Eastport in the Class D girls basketball state championship game at the Cross Insurance Center.

It is the first basketball state title in school history for the school from the island of approximately 1,200 residents.

“I’m just on Cloud 9 right now. Our whole team, we’re so excited,” said Davis-Oakes as she clutched the gold basketball trophy.

“This is the first gold ball we’re bringing back for our school. Our names are going to be in history and we’re going to be remembered,” said Davis-Oakes, a junior who shot 11-for-16 from the field and sank six of seven free-throw attempts while contributing two blocked shots.

Davis-Oakes, the beneficiary of excellent passing by her teammates, scored 15 consecutive Vinalhaven points during a seven-minute span of the first half to help the Vikings build a 10-point advantage.

“We got up in the morning, went and got breakfast. You never know exactly how (she’s going to be),” Nelson said. “Gilley said, ‘I’m ready.’”

“The Davis-Oakes girl was really good,” said Shead coach Dean Preston. “She did a great job of getting to spots where she’d receive the ball and outmove our kids. She’s a heck of a ballplayer.”

Vinalhaven (18-4) funneled its offense through Davis-Oakes early, but demonstrated balance. Deja Doughty contributed six points, five assists and five rebounds, while Dennison (five assists) and Cheyenne Bickford (four rebounds) posted six points apiece. Ashlyn Littlefield added five points, six assists and a steal.

All six contributors are juniors.

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