In retrospect, the fact that the Calais Blue Devils were, as Coach Bob McShane described them, “uncoordinated” and “not communicating” during their 76-49 Eastern Maine Class C quarterfinal victory over Penquis of Milo was not surprising.

The fact of the matter is, many of us in the Bangor Auditorium Tuesday evening were unable to fully concentrate on basketball at the beginning of that game.

I know I had a hard time staying focused on the task at hand after Debbie Niles, a Bangor Daily News colleague, stopped by the press table with an interesting bit of information just before the game started.

“See that lady over there?” Debbie said, pointing across the court. “The one in the second row? Behind the lady in pink?

“Well, her water just broke!”

Now, unless you are very young or have somehow managed to miss any association with events surrounding the wonderful miracle we call birth, that phrase means something to you.

Like, Yipes! That lady is about to have a baby!

Sure enough, she was.

Two minutes before the 7:35 p.m. game, the soon-to-be newest fan of the defending state champion Calais Blue Devils decided it was about time to join the crowd.

Paula Hill, mother of Calais sophomore forward Erika Severance, was expecting her third child to arrive sometime around March 1.

But since she was delivering as an “older mother” at 37, and since both daughters, Erika and 3-year-old Courtney Hill, had arrived early, the family came prepared.

John and Paula Hill drove to Bangor on Sunday to stay with relatives just in case Paula would have to go to the Eastern Maine Medical Center sometime before or after her oldest daughter’s team played in the Bangor Auditorium. John was set to broadcast the Calais-Penquis game on Tuesday.

Despite the fact the “tourney baby” had given Mom the signal to head to the hospital, Paula Hill was determined to stay at the game and watch Erika. After all, she hadn’t missed one of her oldest daughter’s games since Erika had been in fourth grade.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the stands, John Hill was preparing to broadcast the game back home via cable Channel 3 until he got the word Paula was saying, “Uh, oh. This is it!”

He ran down to take Paula to the hospital but, ever the faithful and loyal mom, Paula was determined to stay.

“I told him to go back,” she said. “But then he decided maybe we should call the doctor, just to check.”

When her doctor suggested she check in with him, Paula thought it would be just a quick visit and she’d get back to the game in time to cheer for Erika.

But Dr. Vance Aloupis decided otherwise and told the expectant mom she would be admitted pronto. But not, Paula decided, before picking up a radio to listen to the game.

Nearly everyone in the Calais stands knew what was happening, as did the players. But no one told Erika until the game was over. Her mother was happy about that, because her daughter got in the game and scored a basket, going 1-for-1.

After listening to the game, Mom had a little work to do.

Allison Hill, “the tourney baby” entered this world at 11:08 p.m. Tuesday, all 6 pounds and 9 1/2 ounces of her.

On Wednesday, the newest Calais fan was making herself heard – exercising her lungs – while cradled in Mom’s arms at the hospital. The little bundle of pink has light brown hair and a yawn that will break your heart.

She has already been visited by her basketball-playing sister, and Paula Hill looks forward to the day when she may be cheering for this little girl from the very seat she so hastily vacated Tuesday.

“I played basketball for Calais and we were undefeated,” she said, “but we never had tournaments.

“I graduated in ’74. The tournaments started in ’75. I guess that’s why I love it so much, because I wish I could have been there.”

Now that Allison has arrived, Mom can relax. She’s decided to take three months off from her job with the Maine Department of Human Services in Calais, where she is an income maintenance specialist, and spend time with her newly-enlarged family.

Hopefully, she will be cheering her daughter, Erika, and her teammates to a second consecutive state championship.