The Lee Academy girls basketball team brought some extra motivation into the Eastern Maine Class C basketball tournament.

The Pandas won two of the last three state Class D championships and made the move up to Class C this season.

The second-seeded Pandas won their quarterfinal on Tuesday, 85-53 over No. 7 Narraguagus High School of Harrington.

“A lot of people were bashing us. They said the only reason we won the state championships was because we were in Class D [and Class D wasn’t very good]. So we want to show them we can compete in any class,” said senior forward Dana Houghton.

Senior guard Brooke Harris concurred.

“We want to prove we’re a good team in ‘C,'” said Harris.

The Pandas have six seniors who have played together since second grade and, in fact, Harris said she has saved their uniforms from those second grade days.

“They’re like sports bras [on us] now,” quipped Harris.

Besides Houghton and Harris, the others are Aarika Ritchie, Amanda Gifford, Laci McLaughlin and Karin Bird.

Since the fall of 2004, the Lee Academy girls played in every state championship soccer, basketball and softball game in Class D with the exception of the 2006 basketball game. They won five state championships.

The Lee girls have already made a strong statement in C, going 17-1 and reaching the state Class C championship game in soccer where they lost to North Yarmouth Academy 2-1 in double overtime.

Ten of the 11 members on the basketball team played on the soccer team.

They had two career 100-goal scorers in soccer in Aarika Ritchie and Amanda Gifford while Ritchie joined Bird in the 1,000-point club in basketball during the victory over Narraguagus.

“It’s awesome to have two, 1,000-point scorers on our team,” said Harris.

Ritchie was excited to reach the 1,000-point plateau.

“I thought it was pretty cool, especially doing it here at the Bangor Auditorium,” said Ritchie.

She will continue her basketball career at Colby College next year.

“I applied early decision. I’m excited to go there,” said Ritchie. “They’re building their program and I really like what Coach [Lori McBride] is doing. It’s going to be exciting to be a part of it.”

Ritchie and Gifford will be rivals beginning next fall because Gifford will play basketball at Bates College.

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