PORTLAND — It should be more than a little concerning for future opponents that Martha Veroneau doesn’t believe she’s completely regained her form.
It sure looked like she was firing on all cylinders Monday, as the junior guard scored 21 points to lead Waynflete to a 59-25 victory over Greater Portland Christian in a Western Maine Conference girls’ basketball game at Waynflete.
“I’m never going to be 100 percent (this season), but I am working toward it,” said Veroneau, who sprained her ankle against Fryeburg Academy on Jan. 6.
“It takes some time to regain confidence, mobility, everything. Every single practice, every day, I’m getting better, so it’s working out.”
Veroneau was front-and-center against the Lions (7-8). Her first six points helped the Flyers (9-7) sprint out to an 11-0 lead. The Waynflete co-captain (along with her twin sister, Catherine) finished the opening quarter by scoring eight straight, giving the Flyers a 19-4 lead.
“It would be scary to think of her at 100 percent,” said Greater Portland Christian Coach Keith Dawson.
“Martha is a great shooter and we watched her during warm-ups and knew that she could shoot from anywhere. We just tried to put a hand in her face, but she was just able to do whatever she wanted to do.
“She dictates everything going on on the floor. Tempo on both sides, defensively and offensively. She’s so hard to game plan for because she’s everywhere.”
Veroneau drained a 3-pointer in the closing moments of the first half to give her 17 points at the break as the Flyers led 29-12. She scored four more in the first three minutes of the third quarter, helping Waynflete move ahead 38-14 before heading to the bench for the remainder of the game.
Elaine Beech paced the Lions with 12 points.
It’s not hard to imagine Waynflete’s positioning heading toward the tournament being significantly better if not for the injury to Veroneau. The Flyers went 1-3 in her absence, including the game against Fryeburg Academy which they lost by two points, and a one-point setback against Old Orchard Beach.
But Waynflete Coach Brandon Salway believes his team gained some valuable perspective and confidence during its star’s absence.
“We were without her for several games, and unfortunately that was during the toughest part of our schedule,” said Salway.
“Martha just does everything, but I think what it did was it allowed some other kids to play different roles during the time she was out. They got a chance to gain a little bit of confidence and have a little bit more focus on them. But they’ve also realized that she does so many things on the floor that opens things up for them. They get much easier shots when she is in the game.”
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