Team chemistry helps Eagles soar to the top Greater Houlton Christian is 14-0

The Greater Houlton Christian Academy girls basketball program has been in existence since the 2000-01 season, and every year the Eagles seem to have gotten stronger.

But what’s happened this winter was a bit unexpected. GHCA is 14-0 and was sitting in fourth place in last week’s Eastern Maine Class D Heal point rankings.

“We’re definitely in uncharted territory,” said third-year coach Vaughn Farrar.

“I had a sense that it could work out because I knew what I had,” he added. “It was just a matter of getting the girls to play together. I’ve been really pleased.”

The Eagles were 11-6 last year and 9-9 in 2004.

This season GHCA has a relatively weak schedule, playing teams mostly near the bottom of the EM Class C and Class D standings.

Except for Ashland.

The 8-4 Hornets, who made it to the Eastern Maine Class D final last year, have suffered two of their losses to the Eagles.

GHCA won the teams’ first matchup 46-42 and rallied from an 18-point second-quarter deficit to earn a 58-48 victory on Jan. 18 at Ashland.

“That was a lot of fun,” Farrar said. “We played a great second half.”

Sophomore forward Sarah Riopel led the Eagles with 18 points, with junior point guard Megan Korhonen and senior forward-center Lacey Farrar, Vaughn Farrar’s daughter, each adding 14 points.

GHCA has had a well-balanced offense all year. Riopel, Korhonen and Farrar have all had big games, as have junior guard Amanda Livezey, sophomore forward Chelsie Lord and junior forwards Jessica Jago and Emma Boutilier.

Korhonen scored 22 points in the first Ashland game, for example, while Lacey Farrar had 18 in a 47-34 win over Bangor Christian. The Eagles placed five players in double figures in a 78-38 victory over Madawaska.

“That’s really helped us,” Vaughn Farrar said. “It’s a good confidence boost.”

The well-rounded offense is nice but defense has been key, especially because the Eagles don’t have a regular starter taller than 5-foot-6. Boutilier is 5-8.

GHCA’s lack of size means the team relies on quickness rather than height. The Eagles play a variety of zone defenses as well as man-to-man, depending on the opposition.

“We’re not very big but we can be feisty,” Farrar said. “… [The defense] has made everything fall into place. That, and a year of maturation.”