BREWER – The Brunswick girls basketball team is off to its hottest start in at least seven years.

A hot start from guard Hilary Champagne against Brewer Friday night helped the Dragons seal their fifth win of the season.

Brunswick (5-1) raced out to a 16-2 lead and got 14 points from Champagne en route to a 57-40 win over the Witches in a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference crossover game.

“The girls came out intense and focused and determined,” Brunswick coach Rita Maines said. “We were hoping for that.”

Claire Baecher, one of Brunswick’s two 6-foot-2 starting centers, added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

But both Baecher and Mardi Artis, the other 6-2 center, weren’t exactly on fire in the first quarter with the Brewer defense keyed on shutting them down.

“They were focusing on Claire, and rightfully so,” Maines said. “They were sagging off of our point guard, Hilary, and weren’t really respecting her. She earned their respect tonight, kept them honest, pulled them out a little bit. That opened up some things for Claire and Mardi inside.”

The Witches (2-4) held the post duo to just an Artis field goal. Champagne, a sophomore guard, scored eight points, and backup guard Jacquelyn Kelly added four more.

“Brewer was intense defensively, but we have a deep team, so I could kick it out and let the other players score,” Baecher said. “We have such a deep team that everyone can score.”

After an 0-for-9 shooting performance in the first quarter, Brewer worked its way back into the game. The Witches forced eight Brunswick turnovers and shot the ball much better, hitting 8 of 15 from the floor.

Sheri Valley, who finished with 10 points and eight rebounds, combined with Leah Jackson to go 6-for-11 in the quarter. A Jackson jumper got the lead down to 20-16 with 3:16 remaining.

But Brunswick got it back to nine points at halftime and then 19 points when Baecher scored off a feed from Emily Bryant late in the third.

“Our kids just started cracking their pressure, attacked the basket and got some good looks,” Brewer coach Andy Nickerson said. “The ball goes in when you attack the basket. Yeah, we got back into it, but as soon as we did we had some letdowns.”

Baecher scored seven in the final 5 minutes, 4 seconds of the third quarter as the pace of the game picked up.

“Once we started running we got more options,” she said.

The Dragons went 27-for-54 (50 percent) from the floor.

Brewer’s Katie Kenney contributed 10 points and eight rebounds. Jackson, who has been one of the top scorers in the KVAC North, finished with seven points.

Baecher had the defensive duties on Jackson in Brunswick’s man-to-man defense.

“She’s a great player, so I had to be physical and try to stop her from getting the ball,” Baecher said.

Artis finished with 10 points and six rebounds.

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

990-8193

DRAGONS 57, WITCHES 40

Brunswick (5-1) Brewer (2-4)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Artis 5 12 0 0 10 Hutchins 0 1

Baecher 6 12 1 2 13 Adams 1 6 2

Kelly 3 4 0 0 6 Nickersn 0 2

Halmo 2 2 0 0 4 Valley 4 12 10

Chmpagne 7 12 0 0 14 Cox 0 2 0

Elliott 0 0 0 2 0 Jackson 3 10 7

Roy 1 1 0 0 2 McLain 1 6 5 7

Dearborn 2 7 2 2 6 Boulier 0 0 0

Lucas 0 0 0 0 0 Bryant 0 0 1

Sckw-Mns 0 2 0 0 0 Kenney 4 7 10

Flynn 0 0 0 0 0

E. Bryant 1 2 0 0 2

A. Bryant 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 27 54 3 6 57 Totals 13 47 14 28 40

Brunswick 16 28 47 57

Brewer 2 19 32 40

3-pt. goals – Brunswick (0-2): Suckow-Maines 0-2; Brewer (0-9): Nickerson 0-1, Adams 0-2, Cox 0-2, McLain 0-4

JV: Brewer 49-28

Attendance: 400 (est.)