After weathering an early Oxford Hills shooting barrage, the GHS girls’ basketball team locked down defensively and stormed back from a nine-point deficit to bring another Gold Ball back to Gorham on March 4.

The overall brilliance of Emily Esposito (20 points, 6 steals) combined with key second quarter buckets from Mackenzie Holmes (8 points, 13 rebounds), Michelle Rowe (11 points, 7 rebounds), Courtney Brent and Kaylea Lundin gave the Rams a slim 24-22 halftime lead, and they never looked back. A key second half exchange in front of the Oxford Hills bench saw all five Rams hit the floor for a loose ball and sent a clear message that they were not to be denied on this night.

Head coach Laughn Berthiaume and his staff work hard to prepare their teams mentally, physically and tactically. They go to great lengths to understand the strengths of each individual player and prepare them to succeed in big games. On Sunday morning, after the state title game, Berthiaume said, “I am very proud of the effort and dedication of this group. They approached every game with the focus and determination necessary to get the job done night-in and night-out. Most importantly, they always remembered this was the same game they grew up loving as young girls and they never missed an opportunity to enjoy each other and have fun playing the game they love. There are very few things in life that can compare to accomplishing something so special with a group of people you care about so deeply. The leadership and consistency of our senior captains, Emily Esposito, Kaylea Lundin, and Kristen Curley, set a tone for the success of our program. Their historic careers will be remembered forever.”