Experience on the Bangor Auditorium floor is pivotal during tourney time and could play a key factor in the fortunes of the defending state champion Woodland Dragons when the Class D quarterfinals open on Saturday.

The top 16 teams in Class D each had to win a playoff game to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Dragons feature three key players who all spent time on the Auditorium hardwood last season: Katie Smith, Kaitlyn Leeman and Erika Brown. All three have enjoyed solid seasons for veteran coach Arnie Clark, who expects their experience to aid his team’s title defense.

“It’s a lot different playing up there [at the Auditorium],” Clark said. “These kids have been there a couple of years, that should help them. Although, anyone can go up there and have a poor game.”

The Dragons won two straight state titles, but some expected the team to slip somewhat this season with the graduation of standouts Julia Knights and Ashley Marble. However, Smith and Leeman have stepped in to fill the scoring void, each averaging in double figures per game, with added punch from 5-foot-7 Lauren Troiani.

Brown has been the defensive stopper for the Dragons, who have only one senior, Katie Holmes.

Clark realizes his team may have a tougher time getting back to the title game as Class D features several top teams. He expects a battle from the Lee Academy Pandas, who the Dragons beat in last year’s Eastern Maine final, and split with this season.

Other top contenders may include the Southern Aroostook Warriors of Dyer Brook, the Shead Tigerettes of Eastport, the Limestone Eagles, the Fort Fairfield Tigers, and the East Grand Vikings of Danforth.

Clark believes the tourney winner will have to go through Lee and its fine sophomore center, 5-10 Shelby Pickering, who is averaging 22 points and 13 rebounds a game.

“She got into foul trouble down at our barn and it was a good thing or they probably would have beat us,” Clark said.

Pickering has developed into a fine all-around player, said Lee coach Carrie Goodhue.

“She’s very consistent and that’s tough for a high school player, boy or girl,” Goodhue said. “We know she’s going to get her points every game. She gets steals, is very unselfish and it helps that she can also handle the ball.”

While Pickering carries the offensive load for the Pandas and has two 30-point games, Lee has several other solid players who make them a title contender. Junior point guard Ashlee Gifford provides scoring punch with a double-figures average while 5-10 guard Kristin Hersom complements Gifford’s game, said Goodhue, and can hit the 3-pointer and take the ball to the basket.

Senior guard Brittany Mallett is Lee’s defensive ace while the Pandas have also been bolstered by the return of 5-10 junior Samantha Cole, who has recovered from an ankle injury.

Cole gives Lee inside points and makes teams pay when they double on Pickering.

While most teams will be keeping an eye on Lee, a team which could offer a few surprises is East Grand, Clark said.

“East Grand is a much better ball team than they get credit for,” he said. “There’s no one bigger in Class D than [6-footer Chantal] Parker, [Marie] Gilman is a good 3-point shooter and [Amanda] Godley is very athletic and gives them double figures every night.”

“If they hang around and don’t get into foul trouble, they could give people fits.”

Godley is a 1,000-point scorer who can also rebound while Gilman, Parker and Paula Osnoe consistently contribute with double-figure scoring.

Southern Aroostook coach Jon Porter is familiar with East Grand which his Warriors beat twice. The Warriors are also well acquainted with the Dragons, who beat SAHS in the semifinals two years ago and again in the quarterfinals last season.

The Warriors, a tourney perennial, have again surged to the top of Class D with a team that is the epitome of team chemistry, according to Porter.

“This is the best group I’ve had as far as team chemistry,” said the eight-year coach.

That strong team bond has paid off in close games. “Even when things are bad or tight, they don’t blame one another,” Porter said. “They dig in and help each other through it and try to pick each other up.”

The Warriors fit the old successful stereotype of an Aroostook County team: they love to play pressure defense and push the ball up the court.

“The first good shot, we take it and we just keep getting after it,” Porter said.

With their fast-paced offense, several Warriors share the offensive load with senior guard Nicki Lyons leading the way with 15 points and eight assists a game. Freshman forward Audrey Charette has made an immediate impact with 13 ppg while SAHS has also relied on senior forward Tiffany Hardin and her seven points and eight rebounds a game.

Like the Dragons, the Warriors also have tourney experience and are eager to hit the Auditorium.

“We’re there almost every year and that’s an advantage. The style of play we have is an even bigger advantage,” Porter said. “Some teams go down there and feel the pressure – we try to add to that pressure.”

Two other Aroostook County teams who also hope to spend some time on the Auditorium floor are Limestone and Fort Fairfield.

Fort Fairfield, which was eliminated in the second round by Lee last season, features a fine all-around player in 5-9 senior Maranda Butler. She has performed well in pressure situations while leading the team in scoring.

The Tigers have also received strong offensive production and rebounding from juniors Whitney Langworthy and Danielle Searles.

Limestone has enjoyed a fine season and hopes to advance beyond the quarterfinal round where it was eliminated last year by Bangor Christian. Senior guard Ashley Brooker has paced the Eagles attack and hit the 1,000th-point mark this season, the first girl to do so at Limestone.

The Eagles have also received points from senior guard Traci Weatherhead and junior forward Nikki Michaud.

One team the Eagles may have to contend with are the Shead Tigerettes, who feature offensive balance. Shead has been successful thanks to the scoring efforts of junior guard Samantha Davis and senior center Kristen Beaulieu.