SANFORD — The first college basketball game Sanford High standout Paige Cote attended was a University of New Hampshire women’s contest versus Stony Brook in 2016. Despite going back to watch the Wildcats a few more times, Cote didn’t give much thought to the idea of playing for the program after high school.

That was until New Hampshire reached out to Cote last season, her junior year, with a scholarship offer for the 6-foot-3-inch center.

In the weeks after, Cote visited the campus in Durham, New Hampshire, and she fell in love with the facilities, the coaching staff, the university’s academics and, most importantly to Cote, the school’s proximity to home.

Sanford High rising senior Paige Cote goes up for a layup in a high school girls’ basketball game last season. Cote accepted a scholarship offer from the University of New Hampshire where she will continue her basketball career. (Photo courtesy of Sanford High School Athletic Department)

Just a few days after her visit, Cote returned to Durham to accept her offer in person. Her commitment became official June 4. 

“(UNH reaching out) just kind of came out of the blue, and I was super excited about it,” Cote said. “It was something where I knew it was close to home so I was familiar with it, but it was also something I really wanted to explore.”

Having two of her AAU teammates, Sarah Clement and Ashley Storey, already on board after accepting scholarships of their own to UNH was influential in Cote’s decision, as was her immediate admiration for Wildcats head coach Maureen Magarity, who finished her ninth season with New Hampshire this winter.

“As soon as I met (Coach Magarity), I knew I really liked her,” Cote said. “I had seen her coach in the past, and her demeanor and everything just came across really positively … I just had a really good feeling about the way she coaches and approaches everything.”

Cote plays for the Maine Firecrackers AAU team in the summer, and she first drew interest from colleges after a performance at the Nike Tournament in Chicago last July. She also received scholarship offers from Merrimack, Elon, Holy Cross, St. Anselms and Hofstra. Committing after her junior season, said Cote, was important in eliminating any stress that might have come with deciding among schools during her final charge as a Spartan.

“I definitely think it’s a big weight lifted off my shoulders, and it definitely makes me very excited for my senior season because I know I’ll have a lot of stress taken away,” she said. “I’ll be able to really enjoy my time left playing (for Sanford), and for my coaches and teammates.”

Last season, Cote averaged 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, leading Sanford to an 8-11 record and a No. 6 seed in the Class AA South tournament. For her efforts, she was a first-team All Southern Maine Athletics Association conference selection.

Even with an impressive resume, Cote might not be the most famous member of her family. Her father, Tom Cote, is the mayor of Sanford.

He admits that balancing a busy work schedule and attending his daughter’s games, as well as spending time with Cote’s sister, Sophie Cote, who is enrolled at Fordham University, is a daily juggling act. He’s had to sacrifice missing a few of his kids’ games and some council meetings of his own, but it’s been an unforgettable experience.

“As a family, we have followed Paige all over the country for her basketball pursuits and cheered from the bleachers,” he said. “ It’s been a great journey and one that we would do all over again … (Her mother) Pam and I are incredibly proud of Paige and are very excited about her decision to commit UNH. We visited many schools with Paige, but UNH checked all the right boxes.”

Cote admits that many people may know her more due to her last name, but her father’s position in office hasn’t impacted her on-court play one bit.  

“My parents are supportive of everything I do,” she said. “I definitely don’t feel any pressure from (my father being mayor) … I think a lot of people maybe knew me because of that, but that doesn’t necessarily add any pressure.”

With the stress of selecting a college now an afterthought, Cote looks forward to her last year at Sanford. Over her three years at the school, Cote’s teams have improved incrementally, winning just four games her sophomore season to eight as a junior. This year’s group is shaping up to be a young team, she said, but Cote’s looking forward to leading the Spartans into battle on the hardwood for one final season.

“I think we can build (from what we did last year),” she said. “I’m excited to get started.”