YSCC Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship Recap

Auburn, ME – The YSCC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments came to an end on Sunday, concluding ten thrilling postseason games and crowning two conference champions. In the end, it was a mix of a favorite and an underdog cutting down the nets on Dave Gonyea Court inside Kirk Hall at Central Maine Community College.

In the women's game, #1 seeded Central Maine won its ninth straight tournament title, knocking off UMaine Augusta for the third consecutive season by a score of 67-57.

The game was a matchup of not just the top two teams in the Yankee Small College Conference, but also the top two ranked squads in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. It was UMA, who got off to a better start, putting together a 7-0 run after allowing the opening basket and leading 10-4 after 2:36. CMCC answered with a 10-0 run, taking a lead with 4:54 remaining in the quarter. Four straight free throws from the Moose tied things up at 14-14, but Cassie Ririnui and Abilene Corson each made layups to put the Mustangs up by four after ten minutes.

Both teams struggled in a second quarter that was all about defense, with the offenses combining for only 16 points while turning the ball over 12 times. Central Maine went more than five minutes without a basket but held UMaine Augusta to only one field goal in the quarter, giving them a 29-21 lead at the break.

The hosts threatened to run away with it early in the third quarter. Two straight shots from All-Conference selection Ava Smith increased the lead to 14. However, YSCC Player of the Year Bella Petrocci had an answer, making a three-point shot through contact and converting the free throw for a four-point play. That put momentum squarely on UMA's side. Petrocci and fellow All-Conference pick Lillian Cox continued to bite into the deficit, trimming the lead to just one point, 41-40, in the final minutes of the third quarter. There was belief that the only team to beat CMCC all season, and on their home court no less, could do it again.

But that would be as close as the Moose would get. Central Maine connected on outside shots by Gabbie Tibbetts and Hunter Hartsgrove to enter the fourth quarter up 47-41. The #1 ranked Mustangs saw their high-intensity, full-court press defense pay off in the final ten minutes against a tiring UMaine Augusta squad, holding them to just two field goals in the first 6:30 of the final frame. The lead climbed to as high as 18 points before UMA made some late shots, but there just wasn't enough time remaining to start a comeback.

Caitlyn McCoy paced the Mustangs with 14 points behind four three-pointers, with Breanna Dwyer adding 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Smith finished with 12 points. Petrocci's game-high 17 points led the Moose while Cox finished with 12 and Yvonne Roberge put up seven points and seven assists. Petrocci was selected as the tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player while CMCC's Josie Friend was chosen as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player. First-year guard Abilene Corson was named tournament MVP.

Central Maine's women's basketball program has now won 13 Yankee Small College Conference tournament titles, capturing every single one since the 2016-17 season. They earn the conference's automatic bid to the USCAA national championships. The Mustangs will find out their seeding during the selection show on February 24^th. The Moose are also expected to get an at-large bid for the fifth straight season.