By Wayne E. Rivet

Staff Writer

AUBURN — Kristen Huntress knew the clock was ticking on her collegiate basketball career.

One obstacle — the Seawolves of Southern Maine Community College — separated the former Laker from a return trip to the National tournament.

“I went into the game with the mindset that it wasn’t going to be my last game in a CM uniform,” Huntress said. “I told myself I was going to do whatever it took to make sure we won.”

Did she ever.

Huntress poured in a career-best 29 points and collected eight steals to lead Central Maine Community College to a 74-67 victory in the Yankee Small College Conference championship game on Sunday. Huntress was named the tourney’s Most Valuable Player.

“Kristen played like the confident and determined woman that we all know her to be. We certainly would not have won the championship game without her this weekend,” said CMCC Head Coach Andrew Morong, who was selected YSCC Coach of the Year as his Mustangs won its fourth straight conference title. “It really had nothing to do with the points she scored (29).  She was just confident, and when your leader is confident, everyone else embraces it.”

CMCC (26-3) will be the second-seed at the USCAA National Tournament that begins this weekend on the campus of Penn State Fayette. CMCC will play the winner of #7 Johnson & Wales University Charlotte and #10 Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences on Monday at 2 p.m. in the quarterfinals.

Johnson & Wales beat the Mustangs in the 2018 national championships.

“I felt very honored and surprised to be named MVP, but the only award I really cared about was the conference championship,” Huntress said.

She filled up the stat sheet in the season’s biggest game to date. In 34 minutes, she shot 8-of-12 from the field (2-of-5 from the 3-point arc) and 11-of-13 from the foul line. 

The third-year accounting major, Huntress had a solid tourney. She netted 13 points, 5 steals, 5 rebounds in a 79-42 win over UMaine Augusta in the opener.

Fellow former Laker Chandler True chipped in 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

Against Great Bay Community College, the Mustangs rolled to a 99-29 win as Huntress saw limited minutes, scoring 7 while collecting 5 rebounds, 2 assist and 4 steals.

True hit for 13 points to go along with 2 steals and 2 rebounds.

“This year, Kristen has been a bit up and down as far as point production goes. However, she does so much more than score. She can score nothing in a game, and still make as big of an impact as anyone else on the floor. She is a tireless worker who plays tenacious defense, a staple of her success since high school,” Coach Morong said. “Her biggest improvement since arriving to CMCC has nothing to do with basketball skills. She has always been a leader by example, but this year she needed to be more vocal. This is not something she is necessarily comfortable with, but as usual, she has gotten the job done... time and time again.”

What makes her a special player and special teammate?

“Kristen is everything that you want an athlete, student, daughter or employee to be. She puts others first, and will do whatever is necessary, even giving up her own recognition, to make sure goals are met and games are won,” Coach Morong added. “I have had the absolute privilege of coaching her for the last six years (three AAU, three college), and although I am sure she is a bit sick of me, I am going to hate to see her leave. She is truly one of the all-time greatest players and persons to ever attend Central Maine Community College.”

The Mustangs went through a drastic remake after reaching the National finals a year ago. Although there were plenty of new faces and youth on the roster, the Mustangs came together to continue to be a YSCC powerhouse.

“I really like the bond that this year’s team has. We all get along really well and that’s reflected on the basketball court,” Huntress said. “I also love the determination and hard work we all put in day in and day out.”

While getting to play a third year at CMCC was a plus, Huntress found her final go-around as a Mustang even more special when former Laker teammates Chandler True and Tiana-Jo Carter joined the squad — True as a player, Carter as a coach.

“This year has certainly been special playing with Chandler. We’ve been playing together since the third grade and we always said we were going to go to the same college to play together. To actually have that happen has been a dream come true,” Huntress said. “We always worked really well together and when she came to CM this past year it all came back to us.” 

Having Carter as a coach brought the Mustangs to a new level, Huntress said.

“She brings in an amazing skill set and basketball IQ,” Huntress added. “She has played a huge role in our team chemistry, as she emphasized early on how important team unity is.”

Knowing this would be her last season playing competitive basketball, Huntress pushed herself even harder, yet also realized it was important to enjoy the final hoop journey.

“My goals entering this season were to first and foremost to enjoy every second, but also to get back to where we are now — conference champions with the chance to win another national championship,” she said. “My biggest personal challenge was becoming a vocal leader. I have always been one to lead by example, but with 11 freshmen coming in, my coach challenged me to be more vocal. I still definitely have a lot more to learn in regards to leadership, but when I recognized that’s what my team needed from me I stepped up and became vocal.”

How has she become a better player following a sterling high school career?

“I have improved since playing at Lake Region by getting in the weight room and becoming stronger and faster,” she said. “I have also improved my all-around game by spending countless hours in the gym and practice getting shots up and working on my ball handling.”

Like all teams, the Mustangs faced their fair share of challenges and adversity. 

“Our biggest challenge as a team has been all the off the court adversity we have faced. To get through it, we spent a lot of time talking with each other and really opening up to one another. This ended up bringing us together even more,” Huntress said.

Central Maine CC has proved to be the “perfect fit” for Huntress, both athletically and academically.

“The small tight-knit community of CM reminds me a lot of Lake Region,” she said. “Advice I would give to high school athletes looking to play in college would be to definitely at least give it a try because the lessons and rewards you receive far outweigh all the work you put in.”

Huntress also had high praise for her coach. 

“Coach Morong has not only helped me become a better player, but also a better person. I have been playing for him since my sophomore year of high school. He has created me into the leader I am today and always knows how to get the best out of me,” she said. “With Coach Morong, he values morals and character and is always trying to prepare us for life after basketball.”

But before Kristen Huntress moves on to the next chapter of her life, there is still some unfinished business — the drive to win a national title.

“For us to be successful at nationals, we are going to have to limit turnovers, knock down open shots, and work together for four consecutive quarters,” she said. “Just thinking about playing my last game brings me a lot of emotions. I’m going to miss all of it — the countless hours of lifting, practicing and traveling, but I think what I will miss most is all the relationships I’ve made. I’ve been lucky enough to play for three of the best basketball coaches in the state of Maine — Coach Eastman, Coach True and Coach Morong. Those three have played a huge role in my success as a player and person, and I could never thank them enough.”

Kristen is the daughter of Carolyn and Norman Huntress of Harrison.