It’s Waterville-Lake Region, Part II.

The Panthers and the Lakers of Naples girls basketball teams will face off for the second year in a row in Friday’s Class B state championship game. This time around, they’ll play at the Bangor Auditorium starting at 7 p.m.

Waterville won the 2007 matchup but needed overtime for a 52-51 victory.

The undefeated Panthers, who would be in line for their 44th straight win, return much of their same lineup from last year, including 6-foot junior forward Morgan Frame.

Frame had 23 points, 22 rebounds and five steals in the 2007 state game. She dominated the 2008 regional tournament, averaging 22 points and 13.6 rebounds per game, for which she was named the MVP for the second year in a row.

While Frame has been Waterville’s major offensive weapon this year, the Panthers have scoring all over the court.

Starting guards Paige Gardiner, Stephanie Whitten, Jennifer Nale and Sarah Given are all capable of double-digit scoring – Nale was Waterville’s second-leading scorer this postseason, averaging 12 ppg. Nale was named to the all-tourney team.

It was Nale’s foul-line jumper with 43 seconds left in regulation that forced last year’s state game into overtime.

The Panthers also have a strong bench, to which coach Ted Rioux looks frequently. Senior forward Kayla Smith played a huge role in Waterville’s second-half rally against Mattanawcook of Lincoln, scoring what proved to be the go-ahead basket in the third quarter. The Panthers eventually won 60-40.

Waterville’s other key backups include guard Stacie Whitten and forwards Taylor Hart and Jasmine Bishop.

This will be Lake Region’s third trip in a row to the state title game. The Lakers, who are now 19-2, fell to Presque Isle 48-36 in 2006.

Like Waterville, coach Paul True’s Lake Region squad didn’t have an easy time of it in the regional final. The Lakers had to rally from a seven-point deficit in the second quarter en route to a 37-34 win over Falmouth.

Lake Region returns few of the players from last year’s team with the major exception of lone returning starter Renee Nicholas. The senior guard, who had a team-high 15 points in last year’s state game, had 12 points against Falmouth and was named the Western Maine tournament MVP. She’s also considered one of the toughest defensive players around.

Other key players for Lake Region include senior forwards Erica Webb and Krysti Leach and sophomores Meghan Craffey, Abby Hancock and Morgan McClean.

The Lakers’ current winning streak is nowhere near as lengthy as the Panthers’ but impressive nonetheless. Lake Region has won 12 in a row since losing back-to-back games to Fryeburg Academy and Greely of Cumberland Center on Jan. 5 and 9, respectively.

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

990-8193