Mackenzie Holmes producing a double-double Tuesday night wasn’t all that noteworthy.

But the fact that Holmes, the standout Gorham senior who has a scholarship to play at Division I Indiana next year, did it in the game’s first 10 minutes, certainly was. It was the beginning of what would be a spectacular night for one of the state’s elite players.

Holmes came out dominating on both ends of the floor as defending Class AA South champion Gorham opened a 17-point lead. Deering made a run late in the first half, but visiting Gorham had more than enough to go on to a 49-35 victory.

Holmes stuffed the stat sheet with 33 points and 28 rebounds and helped Gorham improve to 3-0.

“I focused this game on not forcing shots up and on getting putbacks,” said Holmes, who also had five blocked shots.

Five quick points from Adele Nadeau, sandwiched around Holmes’ first three points on a putback and foul shot, gave Gorham a quick 8-2 lead that extended to 16-2 after one quarter. Holmes had eight points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.

“Mackenzie does a whole lot of things,” said Gorham Coach Laughan Berthiaume. “She can handle the ball, she can shoot from the outside, but what people don’t see is how much she changes other teams’ offensive games. Her defensive presence is as important as her scoring.”

When Gorham took a 21-4 lead midway through the second quarter, a blowout appeared imminent, but Deering cut the deficit to 23-17 at halftime behind a pair of 3-pointers from Mandy Mastropasqua and another from Taja Wilkins.

“The start of the contest was a little disappointing, but we showed some spunk in the second quarter,” said Deering Coach Mike Murphy.

Holmes had 14 points and 14 rebounds in the first half and opened the third period with consecutive baskets. Gorham went up by as many as 17 before a Wilkins 3 and Delaney Haines layup cut the deficit to 38-26.

“We came out strong in the second half and opened that lead back up,” Berthiaume said. “I felt like we moved (the ball) a little better.”

A Haines 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter made it interesting, but Holmes made two more layups as Gorham pulled away.

“(Last year’s loss in the state final) gives us motivation,” said Holmes. “It’s my senior year and I’m trying to have some fun and win games.”

Nadeau finished with 12 points for Gorham.

Deering was paced by 13 points from Haines and eight apiece from Mastropasqua and Wilkins.

“We didn’t back down and that’s a positive, but (Gorham’s) a really good team with a girl who could be our best big (player) ever,” Murphy said.

Related Stories