Roaring Lions face big test with Windjammers

It seems that no one involved with the Belfast girls basketball team can remember the last time the Lions beat Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference rival Camden Hills.

Belfast, now 7-0, is hoping to make some new memories tonight when the two squads meet at 7 p.m. for a midseason showdown at the Belfast High gym.

The Windjammers are 6-1 after a win last week over 5-2 Rockland.

“We have had this one circled on our schedule for a while,” said Belfast coach Ted Rioux, who is in his second season with the Lions. “With all respect to the other teams, there are very good teams out there, but Camden Hills has been a very good basketball team for a very long time.”

Belfast has had a run of big wins recently, beating rival Mount View of Thorndike, edging perennial contender Winslow by three points, getting past a much improved Rockland team, and holding off Maranacook of Readfield 35-33.

Camden Hills’ only loss of the season so far has come against Maranacook. The Black Bears have something the Windjammers don’t – a dominant post player.

Rioux had a chance to scout the Windjammers when they played Mount View. He came away impressed with the way the speedy Camden Hills guards picked apart the opposing defense.

“[Mount View] played a 2-3 zone so Camden just put four people on the perimeter and one person inside, and worked the ball around and waited for the first available shot,” Rioux said. “We’ll really need to get back on defense and rebound.”