Spruce Mountain girls basketball tops Maranacook in battle of unbeatens

Spruce Mountain’s Alaina Kachnovich tries to stop Maranacook’s Gracie Farrell on a drive to the basket during the Capital City Hoop Classic on Wednesday in Augusta. Spruce Mountain won, 51-42. (Rich Abrahamson/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image

AUGUSTA — Newcomers to the Augusta Civic Center court, both the Maranacook and Spruce Mountain girls basketball teams hope to be cutting down the nets on it come late February.

On Wednesday, the Black Bears and Phoenix got a taste of what postseason games can be like — and in a matchup of teams that are going to become quite familiar with one another, Spruce Mountain came out on top, claiming a 51-42 victory in a New Year’s Eve Capital City Hoop Classic showdown.

The win in a clash of undefeated teams puts the Phoenix atop Class C South entering the new year.

HOW SPRUCE DID IT

• Spruce Mountain (7-0) forced turnovers — 29 of them, to be exact. The Phoenix pressured Maranacook relentlessly, and their athleticism and quickness to the ball gave the Black Bears fits.

“It’s our athletes,” said Spruce Mountain’s Natasha McDonald, who scored a game-high 17 points. “We know we can pressure the ball and force turnovers, and we play the lanes well. That definitely helped us out, because we weren’t making shots.”

• Free-throw shooting. Led by McDonald (10 of 11), the Phoenix went 19 for 23 from the line, staying in front comfortably throughout the second half in what could otherwise have been a closer game.

“Finally,” said Spruce Mountain coach Zach Keene. “So far this season, we haven’t been very good from the free-throw line, but we’ve talked about it and practiced at it. Being able to step in in those situations and knock them down is huge now, and it will be huge come February.”

WHAT IT MEANS

• Both Maranacook and Spruce Mountain got their first taste of the Civic Center floor, where they will play come tournament time. The Phoenix previously played their tourney games at the Portland Expo as members of Class B South, while the Black Bears played at Bangor’s Cross Insurance Center in B North.

• It’s the first of two — and possibly more — matchups between the Black Bears and Phoenix this season. The two are scheduled to play again Monday in Readfield, and a tourney meeting could also be in the cards for teams that have been the best in the region to date.

“When we walked in, I asked my team, ‘Do you feel it?’” said Maranacook coach Karen Magnusson. “I know it’s not playoffs yet, but there’s just a vibe to this place. To be able to come back here and be able to play our playoffs here is going to be amazing for our community.”

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

“This was definitely a big game that we were looking forward to. It’s fun to be here playing because we’ve never played here before, and they’re a good team. … I’m sure we’ll play them many times: next week, possibly the MVC championship and (the regional tournament).” — Natasha McDonald

“Both teams competed hard. I thought my girls showed a lot of grit and intensity to be able to battle back (to pull within five points) in the fourth. I thought it was what both teams needed.” — Karen Magnusson