AUBURN, Maine (YSCC) – The #1 seeded Central Maine women's basketball team defeated the #3 seeded Southern Maine in a hard-fought game, earning a 66-48 victory on Sunday, March 5th, capturing the YSCC Women's Championship.

 Aija Andrews got the scoring going for the Seawolves as she grabbed an offensive rebound and put it up and in. After a defensive stop, YSCC Player of the Year Maddy York knocked down a three-pointer, giving SMCC the early 5-0 advantage. Emily Strachan got the Mustangs on the board with a fastbreak layup with 6:12 remaining in the first quarter. 

A defensive battle appeared to be the tone early in this contest. Central Maine took their first lead of the game (6-5) on a Mikenzie Melendez three-pointer with 3:32 remaining in the first quarter. The Seawolves and Mustangs continued to exchange baskets, with the Mustangs taking a 10-9 lead into the second quarter. 

The Mustangs' leading scorer from their Final Four victory, Chantel Oullette, got the second quarter going with a nice mid-range jump shot. Emily Strachan would knock down a three-pointer for the Mustangs on the following possession, giving the Mustangs a 15-9 lead. 

The Mustangs kept on scoring, getting out to a 19-9 lead forcing Seawolves Coach Katie Stannard to call timeout. SMCC could not find its momentum early in the second quarter, being outscored 18-2 in the quarter's first five minutes. 

This YSCC Championship headed into halftime with the Mustangs of Central Maine leading 33-19.

Hope Butler of the Seawolves got the second half rolling, knocking down a three-pointer. The Mustangs kept on scoring, but their aggressive defense led them to early foul trouble in the third quarter. The Seawolves were in the bonus with 5:26 remaining in the quarter. A made layup followed by a defensive stop gave the Seawolves some momentum. Jaylyn Bartolome went to the line and converted both free throws, to put this game back at single digits; 39-30 Mustangs lead with 4:38 to go in the third. 

Central Maine regained the momentum following several missed shots by the Seawolves. A Destiny Mora Lopez converted and-one gave the Mustangs a 51-33 lead with 1:26 to go in the third quarter. The Mustangs were in control at the end of three quarters, leading 52-35. 

Seawolves' Tara Flanders opened the final quarter with four straight points, but Mikenzie Melendez would go on a 5-0 run of her own to stun the Seawolves' momentum. With 7:20 remaining in the game, Coach Katie Stannard called timeout, down 57-39.

CMCC rode their lead to the end of this game, and despite an incredible effort from the SMCC, the #1 Mustangs got the better of the #3 Mustangs, winning by a final score of 66-48. 

 For CMCC, Emily Strachan led the victory charge with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Despite the loss, Ashleigh Mathisen would finish with 11 points to lead SMCC.

 The Mustangs captured the 2022-2023 YSCC Championship and will move on to the USCAA DII National Tournament. Congratulations to both teams on incredible seasons! 

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TOURNAMENT AWARDS

YSCC Final Four Tournament MVP - Jade Smedberg, Central Maine Community College Mustangs

YSCC Final Four Defensive Player of the Tournament - Aija Andrews, Southern Maine Community College Seawolves

YSCC Final Four Offensive Player of the Tournament - Chantel Ouellette, Central Maine Community College Mustangs

YSCC Womens Final Four Tournament Runners Up - Southern Maine Community College Seawolves

YSCC Women's Final Four Champions - Central Maine Community College Mustangs

2023 YSCC Final Four Tournament Awards

Article by: Jake Laroche

YSCC Sports Information and Media Services Intern