Hoops award finalists named

Bangor High’s Jon McAllian and Aarika Ritchie of Lee Academy are among the six finalists for the Mr. and Miss Maine Basketball Awards.

The Maine Association of Basketball Coaches announced three boys and three girls as finalists Thursday. The winners will be revealed Friday, March 14, at a banquet the night before the 2008 Maine McDonald’s High School Senior All-Star Basketball Tournament.

Winthrop’s Sam Leclerc and Maranacook of Readfield’s Ryan Martin rounded out the list of boys finalists. Cony of Augusta’s Rachael Mack and Morse of Bath’s Jill Henrikson were the other two girls finalists.

The Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards, the state’s highest basketball honors, recognize the most outstanding male and female senior players for their efforts on the court as well as their contributions to their team and basketball in the state of Maine.

The list of six finalists includes three Eastern Maine tournament Most Valuable Player award winners. Five of the six finalists play for Eastern Maine schools.

McAllian, a 6-foot-5 guard who is headed to the University of Maine on a basketball scholarship, averaged 12.1 points per game and 3.7 assists per game in the regular season. He shot 40.3 percent from 3-point range and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line.

He was the MVP of the Eastern Maine Class A tournament and was a first-team Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference North Division all-star. McAllian was a junior on the Rams’ Class A state title team last year.

Leclerc, a 6-1 guard, put up huge numbers this season and Wednesday night in leading Winthrop to the Class C state championship.

He was named the Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year for his 21.8 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3.5 steals per game in the regular season. He poured in 28 points and added eight assists and seven rebounds in Wednesday’s 72-62 state title win over Calais. Leclerc, who was also the Western Maine tourney MVP, is undecided on where he will attend school next year.

Martin, a 5-9 guard, scored almost 1,900 points in his career while the Black Bears won two Class B state crowns. Also undecided on his plans next year, Martin averaged 25 ppg in the EM tourney and was the MVP for the second time in three years. He was the KVAC Class B Player of the Year.

Ritchie, a 5-foot-6 guard, was the Eastern Maine Class C tourney MVP this year. She helped the Pandas earn their third state championship in four years (two of which came in Class D). Ritchie was the EM Class D tourney MVP last year and was named to the Penobscot Valley Conference first team.

She averaged 15.6 points per game in the tournament and will play basketball at Colby College in Waterville next year.

Mack is also headed to Colby next year after a stellar career in which the 6-2 center was a member of two Class A state championship teams and three Eastern Maine Class A title teams. She averaged 13.3 ppg in the postseason and was an all-tourney team member as the Rams made it to the regional final.

Mack was named to the KVAC South first team.

Morse guard Henrikson, 5-9 guard who will play for Bowdoin College in Brunswick next winter, was also an all-tourney team member who averaged 25 ppg in the postseason. She was the KVAC South Player of the Year.

Ritchie and Henrikson were also named to the McDonald’s all-academic team. Ritchie was the Foul Shooting Competition Champion from the central region.

The all-star events will be held once again at Husson College in Bangor next weekend.

The awards banquet will begin at 7:15 p.m. Friday, March 14.

Saturday’s events begin at 8:30 a.m. with the state free-throw championship. The C/D girls game will start at 9:15, followed by a 3-point shooting competition at 10:30. The A/B girls game is set for 11, after which will be an awards presentation and halftime show.

The C/D boys game will begin at 12:45 p.m., followed by a slam dunk competition at 2 and then the C/D boys game at 2:30.

Ticket prices are $7 for adults and $5 for students, children and senior citizens. Tickets are good for all four games.

Net proceeds from the all-star games benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine.

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

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