Alex Abrami

Free Press Staff Writer

HOW THE TEAMS WERE SELECTED

The Free Press sports department has once again scoured the state looking for its premier high school girls basketball players, contacting coaches and media from one end of Vermont to the other to craft what we hope is a squad representing the best the state has to offer.

RELATED: St. Johnsbury's Sadie Stetson named Miss Basketball

And as always, the task in whittling the list down to first and second teams, plus a batch of honorable mentions, never gets any easier. At the end of the day it remains a subjective process, but one we undertake with great pride and care.

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FIRST TEAM

KEAGAN DUNBAR

Middlebury, junior

5-foot-4, guard

•The player:Forced to maneuver around defenses designed to stop her once again this winter, Dunbar improved her overall game and worked to get her teammates more involved. A first-team BFP selection last year when she averaged 23 points a game, Dunbar put up 20.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.9 steals per outing for the Tigers this winter. She scored a career-high 37 points against Milton and has 1,181 points through her junior year.

•Coach Jen Heath on Dunbar: “Night in and night out she deals with junk defenses and other teams being physical while all trying to stop her. She doesn't get a break no matter who we play and handles it all with poise.”

MARLEE GUNN

Champlain Valley, senior

5-foot-7, guard

•The player: Gunn not only inherited a leadership role, but she also had to tweak her approach to scoring. A pure jump shooter in years past, Gunn extended herself to become a slasher too, while taking on the task of the toughest guard assignments defensively on most nights. Gunn (7.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, two steals, two assists a game) tallied a combined 21 points in two games at Patrick Gym, including the title-sealing free throws in the final.

•Coach Ute Otley on Gunn:“Marlee was the calm, veteran leader on the floor at all times. Her Final Four was a classic performance of do a little bit of everything to make sure we win type of play.”

MADISON LITTLE

Mount Anthony, senior

5-foot-9, guard

•The player:A threat to score off the dribble or on the perimeter, Little capped her career with a 25-point effort in the semifinal loss to CVU. Averaging 17.1 points a game, Little was also the team leader in steals and second in offensive rebounding, and served as the ideal catalyst to jump-start MAU’s uptempo style and transition. She finished with 1,103 points, placing her seventh on MAU’s all-time list.

•Coach Dan Sleeman on Little:“She was a pleasure to coach. One of those cases where your best player is also your hardest worker — it takes care of so many problems. Offensively, she did it all. Defensively, her anticipation was amazing.”

SADIE STETSON

St. Johnsbury, sophomore

5-foot-7, guard

•The player: The Gatorade and VBCA player of the year recipient to go along with the Miss Basketball honor, Stetson powered the Hilltoppers to the program’s first title-game appearance in seven years. A do-everything guard who took the opening tip and preferred to set up her teammates on first option, Stetson recorded 13.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, three assists and 3.5 steals a game for 20-3 St. Johnsbury.

•Coach Jack Driscoll on Stetson:“She did it all this season and the consistency of her performance was much better than her freshman year. She’s not flashy, showy or boastful in any way. Her demeanor is pretty constant, always under control.”

LISA SULEJMANI

Rice, junior

5-foot-6, guard

•The player: A returning first-team BFP selection, Sulejmani fought through injury to remain Rice’s go-to scorer and leader in a season that ended with a loss in the Division I quarterfinals. Sulejmani, Rice’s main ball-handler, put up 13 points, five assists and four steals a game. Rice coaches also saw marked improvement in Sulejmani’s defense.

•Coach Tim Rice on Sulejmani: “Great court vision and basketball IQ. What you want from a point guard or a two-guard is making teammates better and I think she does that. Overall she stepped up and I’m proud of what she accomplished.”

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SECOND TEAM

HANNAH EARL

BFA-St. Albans, senior

5-foot-9, guard

•The player: The point guard was asked to play multiple positions — including center — when the situation called for it, and Earl delivered for a Comets squad that made a return trip to the Final Four. Earl, the coach’s daughter, averaged 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, two assists and two steals a game. A BFP second-team selection last year, Earl typically guarded the best player on the opposing team.

•Coach Shawn Earl on Earl:“Her versatility and her willingness to do whatever we needed to be successful stood out. She played every position and she knew every position.”

GABBY GOSSELIN

Colchester, junior

5-foot-6, guard

•The player: Also the goalie on the Free Press’ all-state soccer first team, Gosselin had a breakout season on the hardcourt for the Lakers. The point guard shot 45.6 percent from the floor to average 18 points to go along with five rebounds, two assists and five steals a game. Improving on her outside shot, especially later in the year, and turning into a facilitator, Gosselin’s game soared beyond just fastbreak layups off steals this winter.

•Coach Jason Desjardin on Gosselin: “She stepped up whenever it was necessary. We tried not to ask her to do too much, but she’s good at everything she does on the court.”

SHAYLAN MOSHER

Lyndon, senior

5-foot-9, guard

•The player: A three-year starter, Mosher led from the point-guard position to steer the Vikings to their first title in program history following a record-setting defensive effort in the Division II finals. A strong handle kept teams from pressing and allowed Mosher to get to the rim at will. She averaged 11 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and two steals a game while finishing just short of 1,000 points for her career.

•Coach Eric Berry on Mosher: “I think she is a selfless player. Her stats could have been ballooned if she was selfish, but she was the furthest thing from that. I think she wanted to bring a championship to LI more than anything.”

EMMA CARTER

Mount Abraham junior

5-foot-11, forward

•The player:Not a traditional forward in the sense of scoring from the block, Carter overpowered opponents by driving to the hoop to finish or drawing fouls. A tireless worker, Carter plays the game “around the clock”, her coach said. Also improving her mid-range shot, Carter averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds a game while making 76 percent of her free throws. Carter had a 40-point effort this season and surpassed 1,000 career points.

•Coach Connie LaRose on Carter:“She is as strong physically as anyone I’ve ever coached. She put a lot of time into it and is focused on eating smart, staying healthy. It has shown this year, it really has.”

ABBY THUT

Champlain Valley

5-foot-10, forward

•The player:Thut’s work in the post provided a balanced inside-outside game that made the Redhawks, at times, overpowering given their overall frontcourt size. The leading scorer for the five-time defending state champions, Thut averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds a game while shooting 74 percent from the foul line. She also hit 17-, 18-footers on a more regular basis to further round out her game.

•Coach Ute Otley on Thut: “She was the muscle, the enforcer in the paint for us this year. That was an important factor for us this year and was a lot of the reason we were as good as we were this year.”

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

Gabby Carpenter, Brattleboro senior forward

Alisha Celley, Cabot senior forward

Josie Choiniere, St. Johnsbury freshman guard

Halle Coloutti, Fair Haven junior guard

Regan Covey, Thetford senior forward

Jenna Eaton, Mount St. Joseph senior guard

Andi Esenler, BFA-St. Albans senior guard

Grace Hoehl, South Burlington junior guard

Kelly Laggis, BFA-St. Albans sophomore forward

Shannon Loiseau, Champlain Valley junior

Emma MacDonough, South Burlington junior guard

Lydia Nattress, Winooski junior guard/forward

Emily Peck, Lamoille, junior guard

Brooke Raiche, West Rutland senior forward/guard

Olivia Rockwood, Windsor freshman guard

Madalyn Sanborn, Lyndon senior forward

Emmalee Smith, Essex junior guard/forward

Becca Whipple, Hazen senior guard

Kylie Wright, North Country, junior forward

Contact Alex Abrami at 660-1848 or aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aabrami5