Back in 2017, the Lady Rams varsity basketball team came back from a nine point deficit against Oxford Hills. After a hard fought game, the girls brought home the gold ball that year. It was a time to remember for all the players, and it was the last game Kristen Curley (GHS ’17), Michelle Rowe (GHS ’18) and Brittany Desjardin (GHS ’19) all played together, until now. They are reunited again this season sharing the court for the University of Southern Maine Huskies.
Curley, in her junior year at USM, has continued to rack up many accolades including Northeast Region Rookie of the Year, New England Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (NEWBA) Rookie of the Year, and most recently Little East Conference Player of the week for her season high, 29 point game against Western Connecticut. She was one of the team captains of the GHS team in 2017 and has many great memories about that time.
“We had a such a great team, we all got along really well, and played well together. Luckily, moving on to a new team in college, not much was different,” she said. “The greatest memories of all were the two state championships we won, which Britt and Michelle were a huge factor in. When you form that kind of bond with a team, and are successful, that is something that never dies out.”
Photo courtesy of Kristen CurleyGHS grads (shown left to right) Michelle Rowe, Kristen Curley and Brittany Desjardin.
Rowe, also shared memories of the years they played together at GHS, saying practices were some of her favorite times. One memory in particular was when they were at the Augusta Civic Center for a practice right before states. “We had the whole place to ourselves and had the music blaring and we were dancing and having fun even though it was a few days before the biggest game of the year.”
Rowe, who is entering her sophomore year at USM, knew she wanted to play D3 ball but she wasn’t sure where. “I didn’t seriously start considering USM as an option until around November or December of my senior year. When basketball season started, I came to a lot of games to watch Kristen and started talking to
the coaches a lot more,” she said. She confided in Assistant Coach Rachele Burns (GHS ’09) regarding the opportunity to play at USM. Burns encouraged her to consider USM believing she would appreciate living closer to home and having the community surround you.
Curley was thrilled to hear Rowe was going to join her team. “Michelle brings a certain work ethic to the team that is undeniable, she is a workhorse out there, always grabbing rebounds, as well as being a great shooter,” she shared. Curley gave her the same advice as Coach Burns.
“A lot of people are against staying close to home for college, but I did not have any reason to escape the Gorham community seeing as they have only ever been good to me,” she said. In turn, Rowe said it was fun to be able to watch Curley play her freshman year at USM. “Being so close to home was weird at first, but it was helpful having talked to Kristen about how living on campus really does give you a different experience,” said Rowe.
Brittany Desjardin, the youngest of the three, was a freshman when the girls won their gold ball together at GHS. Now she is entering her freshman year as a Huskie and looking forward to playing with Curley and Rowe again. She remembers fondly her friendships on the GHS team. And she said the feeling of winning the state championship was like no other.
“I think the most vivid memory I have was after the game on the bus ride when we were all singing to ‘We are the Champions,’ with the windows down, screaming the lyrics out of the window, while getting escorted through Gorham,” Desjardin shared.
She chose USM for its business program but being able to play basketball was a big factor. “I loved the players and the coaching staff and thought that I would fit in well,” Desjardin said. Having Curley and Rowe on her team already was very reassuring to her.
“It was nice just to have a couple of friendly faces coming in because I did not know anyone else. It is also nice to have played with them throughout high school because I know how they play which makes it easier for us to play together,” she said. Curley shared, “Britt brings a whole new level of fast pace to the game, she knows how to push the ball, and take care of it at the same time. She has improved immensely over the past month or so, and has become a serious threat scoring wise.”
All three ladies are looking forward to playing together this season for the Huskies. For Curley, she just wants to be a good teammate and do what she can to help her team win. “I am very excited to see what this team can do, and how far we can push ourselves!” she shared.
Rowe said despite the struggles the team had in the second semester last year, she feels they have what it takes to make a run in the playoffs this year. “I think it would be really cool if we won a conference championship this year and/or next year with me, Britt and Kristen on the team,” she said.
As for Desjardin? While being a freshman can be scary and nerve-wracking, she said that everyone has made her transition very easy. She is most looking forward to forming a bond with her new teammates. “I hope to form friendships that will last a lifetime while playing the sport that I love. I am also looking forward to seeing what great things this team can accomplish,” she said.
To catch the GHS alum in action for USM, check out the Huskies’ schedule here.