The time Richmond senior Jamie Plummer has put into her game in the offseason over her career came into focus Tuesday night when she scored her 1,000th career point in a win against Buckfield.

“I’ve been thinking about last night for quite a few years,” the 6-foot forward said.

Teammate and fellow captain Noell Acord said Plummer was very humble about becoming the second female in school history to reach that 1,000-point plateau — Sunshine Anders scored her 1,000th point in 2000 — and she deflected praise to her teammates. Her teammates in turn are inspired by their leading scorer and rebounder.

“She lives and breathes basketball,” Acord said. “It’s hard not to be inspired. She wants it more than anybody else.”

Richmond coach Molly Bishop said Plummer has “graciously stepped aside” to let her teammates have more of a leadership role this season. And she’s enjoying herself more, too.

“A goal of mine this season was to go out there and have fun,” Plummer said. “It’s my last year at Richmond. It’s more important to go out there and play the game I love.”

Advertisement

Plummer will take her skills to Bates College next season and play for another team nicknamed the Bobcats.

• • •

There will be more victories for Erskine Academy next season for a couple of reasons. First, the Eagles have eight new players this season who will return next year. And second, the school is likely dropping from Class A to Class B.

The enrollment figure submitted to the Maine Principals’ Association in April is 621 students which puts the school well below the Class A threshold. Coach Scott Corey added a move to Class B would also cut the team’s travel in half.

The Eagles fell to 0-9 following Tuesday night’s loss to Brewer, but Corey isn’t complaining.

“I have been overall pretty pleased with how this team has come together,” he said. “We have eight new kids. They’re having fun and they’re doing the best they can.”

Advertisement

Freshman point guard Mallory Chamberlain scored a career-high 18 points against Brunswick last week, making six of seven field goal attempts. Senior Bridget Humphrey is having a monster season and is among the leaders in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A South division in several categories. The 5-foot-10 forward averages 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds a game.

“She’s always had that potential,” Corey said. “She’s just a different kid this year, her demeanor, her maturity.”

Humphrey see the floor well and finds teammates, but it’s her ability to run and jump that separates her from the pack.

“If she can get herself to the backboard, she jumps and she finishes,” Corey said.

• • •

Revenue from the recent Capital City Hoop Classic was down nearly 30 percent, according to tournament chair Dave Rollins.

Advertisement

“We were at a three-year low,” Rollins said.

Rollins attributed the decline to two factors, poor weather on Saturday and the lack of compelling matchups. Because the tournament was played Friday and Saturday, many of the participants had regular-season games on those days and a couple had to reschedule. The tournament used to run over four days but non-countable dates have since been limited by the MPA and the Class A season has been shortened.

“It’s not just our tournament,” Rollins said. “The shine is off Christmas tournaments in general.”

The best attended game was the tournament’s only regular-season matchup between the Cony and Lawrence boys. Rollins and some of the tournament committee say they will explore this option, but may have too refund some of the gate to entice teams to give up a home date.

“I think that’s our best hope,” he said. “I want to experiment with that.”

• • •

Advertisement

The future looks bright for Maranacook, but the present is going pretty well, too. The Black Bears are 5-4 heading into Friday night’s game against Camden Hills and look ready for a strong second-half run.

“I told them being young is no longer an excuse,” Maranacook coach Jeannine Paradis said.

Sophomore Christine Miller averages 19.5 points a game leads the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B division in rebounding at 12.5 a game. She’s also fourth in assists, seventh in steals and sixth in 3-pointers.

“She’s going to the basket a lot stronger,” Paradis said. “She does a good job of not forcing. She’s passing the ball as much as she takes it to the basket.”

Freshman point guard Catherine Sanborn is also having a strong season. She leads the KVAC in assist at 8.0 per game and is fourth in steals. Sanborn, who lives in Wayne, attended St. Michael School in Augusta, as did Miller, and Paradis invited her to play with the team during the summer before her eighth grade year in hopes she would attend Maranacook.

“I had expected that out of her,” she said of her play so far. “She plays so smart and with so much composure.”

The Black Bears expect injured sophomore guard Sarah Clough to return to the lineup Friday or early next week and have gotten a nice lift off the bench from another sophomore, 5-11 Elizabeth D’Angelo. Seniors Jessie Smith, Mariah Vining and Ashley Belanger have made telling contributions as well. Belanger, who sustained a concussion against Waterville, is expected to miss a few games.

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.