Back in 2019, Mackenzie Holmes (GHS ‘19) was just a small town Gorham girl playing the game of basketball, a game to which she dedicated herself at a very young age. This season, she was a leader on the court for the Indiana Hoosiers, and what a season it was.

Holmes is known for her commitment to the sport of basketball. Many of us have been witnesses to the countless hours she put in over the years; be it at her home net playing one-on-one with her brother Cam, on the court at GHS, or in Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). Girls varsity basketball coach, Laughn Bethiume said of Holmes “Her work ethic and desire to improve is simply amazing. From the day she entered high school until the day she left, she was 100 percent committed to being the best player and teammate she could be. Her love for her teammates and the love of the sport made her growth so much fun to watch.”

When she chose the Indiana Hoosiers, Holmes had a goal in mind, but the end of her freshman year was when COVID-19 hit and sports (and the world) as we knew it were put on hold along with that goal. Holmes said, “It has always been a dream of mine to play in the NCAA Tournament, so when it got taken away from us last year, it was really hard. The good part of it was that it gave me and my team the mindset to take nothing for granted and seize every opportunity that we had in front of us.”

Heading into her sophomore season, college sports were still dealing with COVID-19, putting many protocols in place giving the student athletes their best shot at a season. Holmes and her teammates made the best of their opportunities. With limited to no fans in the stadium, a shorter season and cancelled games, Holmes said she felt this season, more than any other, gave her team more opportunities to spend time with one another. She believed her team benefited from that extra time saying, “it translated with our chemistry on the court which was special to be a part of.”

Making it to the NCAA tournament was a reality for the sophomore and she could not have been more excited. “The fact that I was able to live out that dream this year meant a lot to me and I don’t think the feeling can be described.” When it comes to the jitters, Holmes said she always gets nerves leading up to a game, however, once the ball is tipped she says it all goes away. The NCAA Tournament brought different types of nerves for Holmes, because losing in the tournament meant she was going home. She said that made her play with a different level of assertiveness and intensity.

Holmes made a sizable impact in the tournament averaging 15.8 points and 6.5 rebounds; she had 14 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks against VCU; and she scored 13 points and 7 boards against Belmont. Then came North Carolina State and that’s when things got really exciting.

The number 4 seeded Hoosiers team were to take on number 1 seeded North Carolina State for a shot at the Elite Eight and with her family in the stands and the town of Gorham and most of the state of Maine watching, she didn’t disappoint. It was an incredible game that would come down to the final seconds with Holmes scoring 16 points against top-seeded North Carolina State, helping lead the team to a nail biter win of 73-70. She said “Winning the game against North Carolina State was the most incredible feeling I’ve had after a game. Just knowing what our program has worked and battled through this past season made me so proud and happy to get to that moment.” We all saw the video of Coach Moren being doused with water; Mackenzie said that was a memorable moment for her.

Holmes went on to lead the team in the Elite Eight with 20 points and eight rebounds against a tough Arizona Wildcats team in a 53-66 loss (Arizona would go on to win the tournament). Holmes said of the loss: “I think that this was a great learning experience for all of us, especially the ones who have never played on a stage like that before. Personally, I feel like I have matured a lot because of this and it just fuels our team to want to come back better next season.”

Mackenzie’s mother Denise is incredibly proud of her daughter’s accomplishments. “What makes this so special is she has proven if you apply the work anything is possible. She has worked extremely hard over the off season and continued throughout the season to become the best player she can be for her team.” she shared. Coach Berthiume, who coached Holmes to three Championship games for GHS said “I am so proud of her and happy for all she has accomplished so far. I am very confident in saying that she isn’t satisfied with looking back at what she has done so far and she will continue to work to improve to be even better tomorrow than she is today.”

Holmes has racked up many accolades this season including, Associated Press All-American honorable mention team, becoming the first AP All-American selection in IU women’s basketball history; ninth in AP Poll (school record); All Big Ten First Team; All Big Ten Defensive Team; Big Ten Player of the Week; ranked seventh NCAA D1 FG% (60.3%); and ranked eleventh in NCAA D1 blocks per game.

Mackenzie certainly doesn’t forget her roots. She said the support from Maine all the way to Bloomington was incredible and she felt the excitement as she headed into the biggest games of her life. “Having everyone behind us and supporting us as we went into that game meant so much. I am incredibly thankful for all the support back home. It is surreal to me that everyone from Maine has my back the way they do and I am so appreciative.” If her fans know one thing, it’s that Mackenzie will be putting in the work during the off-season to help lead her team to another NCAA tournament, and Gorham will be watching.