That was the Lewiston girls’ basketball mindset for much of the past decade. This year, they’re not thinking about losing but how they might win.
“I feel like we’ve always had the potential to be in the mix,” said Lewiston coach Lynn Girouard. “It wasn’t whether they could be in the mix. I think they’ve started to believe that they can play with anybody as long as they show up and play every night and want it enough.”
The Blue Devils are currently 4-4. That already surpasses last year’s win total. Five wins is the most for any Lewiston girls’ team in a single season in 10 years.
“I think we’re more intense and definitely more confident,” said junior forward Morgan Eliasen. “We push each other more than we did. We see more of us being able to win and having goals to work toward. It’s a lot better than before when we were trying not to lose by 20.”
Lewiston started the year with four wins in the first six games. That included victories over Bangor, Cony, Deering and Portland, which are programs Lewiston hadn’t beaten in years. Some of those wins were so stunning that even the Devils weren’t sure if they actually believed it.
“It didn’t seem real,” Eliasen said. “It was like ‘Wait, did that actually happen?'”
But those wins did happen, and Lewiston is suddenly a viable team in the new Class AA North. Lewiston is currently ranked No. 4 going into a showdown against top-ranked Edward Little Tuesday.
“It’s really starting to pay off,” said senior guard Kristina Blais. “All of our hard work is paying off. Coach really pushes us. Our attitude and supporting each other, it’s working very well for us.”
After losing to Oxford Hills on opening night, the Blue Devils won four of their next five. Bangor, which lost in the regional final last year, was one of the preseason favorites. Deering, a playoff squad from a year ago and another team expected to be among the top AA clubs, handed EL its only loss to date.
“The girls’ have been playing together for a long time and I think that helps,” Girouard said. “We have a lot of girls that have seen varsity minutes, so that experience is there.”
Lewiston entered the season with expectations of building on last year’s 3-15 record. The Blue Devils are still young, with just two seniors in Blais and Alasia Branche, but Lewiston has some young, promising talent that isn’t new to varsity. Juniors Eliasen, Skylar Gaudette, Kasey Talarico and Dacia Ball and sophomore Victoria Harris all return from last year.
“I knew eventually we’d figure it out,” Blais said. “We all played with each other in the offseason. That paid off a lot too. Honestly, the attitude is what’s saving us now. We had a good offseason together. I had high hopes coming into the season.”
The team was already hoping for a playoff spot in AA North, where only two teams don’t make it. The start has only strengthened that desire for a playoff berth.
“I’m not going out with no playoffs,” Blais said. “It’s not happening.”
Lewiston has made the playoffs just once in the past 10 years. That was a preliminary loss at Mt. Blue in 2014. Lewiston was 5-13 that year. Prior to that, Lewiston’s most recent playoff and tourney win was in 2005. The Blue Devils went 11-7, ranked No. 8, and lost in the regional final to McAuley. Lewiston has won only 20 games in 10 full seasons since.
“All I want to do is be better than we were last year,” Girouard said. “Right now, we’re already better than we were last year. So that’s my goal every year. I think we’re definitely in the mix, as long as we can win a couple more games.”
The team is playing with more belief in itself and what it can accomplish this season.
“I definitely feel more confident in what we’re able to do this year,” Eliasen said. “That’s a credit to Coach G. I think she’s been able to bring that out of us.”
Blais says the chemistry of the team is a significant factor as well. The Blue Devils have experience together and work well as a team.
“We all kind of go hand-in-hand with each other, especially the starters,” Blais said. “My weak spots are somebody else’s strengths and their weak spots are my strengths. I’ve played with some of these girls since I can’t even remember.”
Lewiston has lost its past two games to Brunswick and South Portland. With the early wins this season, the pressure now mounts to finish the job and earn the coveted postseason berth.
“Before the season started we wanted to be in the running,” Eliasen said. “Now we want to get a playoff spot and maybe even get a playoff win.”
The early start has also generated some excitement around the team. Girouard notices bigger crowds and new enthusiasm. Winning always makes things more fun.
“I knew we had to beat some of those teams,” Girouard said. “It feels great, and I know it feels great for them. This is new territory for most of these girls. They’ve never been on a winning team before. It’s been fun.”
It’s not unlike what the soccer program did in 2014. After not winning a game since 2012, the Blue Devils soccer team won a couple of early games that breathed new life into a team that went on to make the tourney the past two seasons. Blais and Eliasen were both on that team.
“I think they’re finally catching on to my philosophy a little bit — defense first,” said Girouard, who was a standout guard on Lewiston’s 1999 regional championship team and is in her second year as coach.
“And they’re having fun. I feel like they haven’t been able to have fun and play high school basketball. They’re high school girls. They’re supposed to be having fun. It’s not the WNBA. It’s supposed to be a fun atmosphere but still working hard and playing hard and giving 100 percent every night, which they’ve been doing.”
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