Showdown? Throwdown was more like it. Or first-round knockout.
In an emotional battle of the top two USCAA Division II women's basketball teams in the nation Wednesday night, the No. 1 Central Maine Community College Mustangs stomped the No. 2 Southern Maine Community College Seawolves, 84-51, before a raucous, standing-room-only throng at Kirk Hall.
Maggie Sabine of Litchfield chalked up 22 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists for the reigning Yankee Conference champion Mustangs (10-2 overall, 7-0 league).
SMCC (8-2, 4-1) buckled under the pressure of a double-whammy. Susie French supplemented Sabine to the tune of 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Both teams entered the fray on a five-game winning streak, and the Mustangs say that the hype surrounding the early-season clash spilled over into social media and even the pregame shoot-around.
"We heard a lot of talk before the game. We saw some stuff on Facebook they said. So we came into the game pumped up," Sabine said. "At the beginning of the game they came onto our court hooting and hollering and we kept our mouth shut and played the game. We kept our composure. I think that showed our class."
CMCC sputtered through the first seven minutes, trailing 10-8 after Nyalieb Deng's fast break basket off a Rogetta Donalson steal.
Then the Mustangs' inside-out game roared to life.
French's two free throws tied it, and Sabine's dish down low to Ariel McConkey put CM ahead to stay with 12:33 left in the half.
Two more transition hoops by first-year guards Corrina Kinder and Nohemy Aguila made it eight unanswered points.
"I think it's just the pressure defense," CMCC coach Andrew Morong said. "Even if you get a switch, someone else is on you. There's a lot of trust involved on both ends, with our offense and our defense, but it's our defense that sets the tone for us."
There was much more to come. Alicia Hoyt's hoop ended a near four-minute drought for the Seawolves, but it was the lone interruption in a 29-2 run. CM churned out 21 straight points in a span of less than four minutes to take total command.
Eight different Mustangs scored in the first half, including 3-point bombs from McConkey, French and Keaira Jackson.
"We had 18 assists on 20 total field goals in the first half," Morong said. "That's pretty ridiculous."
French had 16 points and Sabine 12 at the break.
The Seawolves sputtered offensively all night. No starter had a field goal in the first half, when SMCC shot 6-for-37 from the floor. That clip warmed only to 22 percent (16 of 72) overall.
"We wanted to make sure we didn't get caught up in all the rivalry talk and all the madness in the stands. It was great to have everyone here, but we had to make sure we stayed focused," French said. "Coach said teams aren't sure we can play defense. We wanted to show we can play at both ends of the court."
Sabine had four of the Mustangs' 16 steals.
Donalson and Katryna Gilson topped the Seawolves with 10 points apiece. McConkey and Jackson each added 10 for the Mustangs.
"I was worried with a lot of distractions. They came in here pretty loud, pretty upbeat, and I think that sent a message to our girls," Morong said. "They can flip the switch and get down to business like no team I've ever been associated with. That's what separates them from anyone else."
