Gove adjusts well to Dexter system

At the beginning of the regular season, Dexter coach Jody Grant’s biggest concern was the inexperience of his backcourt.

Enter Miranda Gove, a transfer from New Hampshire who solidified the point guard position and has adjusted to an offense centered around the Tigers’ post players.

She has also helped defending Class C state champion Dexter to a 17-1 record and the No. 2 seed for an Eastern Maine Class C quarterfinal on Feb. 20 at 11:05 a.m. The Tigers play the winner of today’s preliminary game between No. 7 Narraguagus of Harrington (11-7) and No. 10 Piscataquis of Guilford (10-8).

Gove came from Mascoma Valley Regional High in Canaan, N.H., this fall when her family moved to Dexter to follow her father’s job as a truck driver. She didn’t arrive in time to play summer basketball, so her first practice with Dexter’s 6-foot-6 center Mallory Ames and 5-11 forward Katie Poirier was the very first day of high school practice.

The 5-6 sophomore was used to playing with some Mascoma 6-footers, including the University of Maine-bound Tonya Young, but nothing like the Tigers’ height. There were also a lot of differences in the styles of the two high school teams.

“Playing with Tonya made me get used to playing with Mal, bounce passes and things like that,” Gove said. “But this is a whole new ballgame. This team focuses more on fundamentals and [Mascoma] was more about running. I think this team is ready for every single situation.”

Grant said Gove has fit in well. She’s averaging 4.3 points, 3.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game.

“She’s really become one of us,” he said. “When she arrived she was completely raw and she was used to playing in a run-and-gun type of system. … Now it’s all of a sudden, wait a minute, I have to get the ball inside every time I touch it. She’s a great student and she’s fun to be around.”

Gove said she was nervous coming into a situation at Dexter where she was the starting point guard on the defending Class C state championship team, although Mascoma has a history of reaching the postseason, too. She credits her new teammates, especially fellow guards Chelsea Chambers, Lindsay Burton and Michelle Chapman with helping her adjust.

“Without them and Mr. Grant my footwork would be so horrible,” Gove said. “I’d be lost in this game.”

Gove is excited to have Young, her former Mascoma teammate and neighbor in Canaan, in Orono next fall. Young signed a National Letter of Intent in November to play for the Black Bears.

“She knows I’m here,” Gove said. “Next year when she comes up she’s going to let me know when her games are and I’m going to come up and see her. It’ll be fun to see her again.”

Bangor diving crew strong

Bangor’s always tough divers will likely dominate next week’s Class A state championships.

As of Monday, there were seven Ram girls ranked in the top eight for 11 dives and five Ram boys were in the top 11 overall for 11 dives.

Freshman Ashley Higgins leads the state with the 318.75 points she carded at the Irene Palmer Invitational. Freshman Meghan Rowe was second with 308.50 points followed by senior Emma Chaiken (307.10) and junior Juliet Cobb (283.30).

Chelsea Hardie, Skye White and Angie Gerow were sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

Bangor senior Brian Wardwell is second in the state with a 328.80 (Morse of Bath’s Keaton Scarponi, with a season-best of 419.50, is in line for his third straight state crown).

Bangor’s Brian Columbus is ranked eighth overall with Peter Buck, Tom Amero and Andrew Sawyer coming in ninth, 10th and 11th.

Teams can score four competitors per individual event.

Both Class A meets will be held at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. The girls meet is Feb. 19 and the boys meet is Feb. 20.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600, or jbloch@bangordailynews.net