enlarge Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Stephanie Gallagher scores a basket over Nicole Faietta of Greely during York’s 49-30 win Saturday in the Western Class B girls’ basketball final.

enlarge Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Nicole Taylor of York drives against Greely’s Chelsea Bridges. Taylor was named the most outstanding player of the regional tournament after leading the Wildcats to a 49-30 victory.

enlarge Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Stephanie Gallagher, left, Emma Clark, Kimberly Rigano and Alexandra Brennan celebrate York’s 49-30 victory over Greely for the Western Class B girls’ basketball title. The Wildcats will face Waterville in the state championship game Friday at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

PORTLAND — The basketball net, which minutes earlier was cut from the hoop at the Cumberland County Civic Center, hung around Elaina Yeomelakis’ shoulders like a necklace.

“I’m probably never going to take it off,’’ said Yeomelakis, a senior guard on York High’s girls’ basketball team. “I’m probably going to sleep with it tonight.’’

Why not? It’s not every day you can own a piece of a championship.

Top-ranked York earned its first Western Class B championship in 15 years on Saturday afternoon, using a stifling defense to beat No. 2 Greely, 49-30.

Sophomore center Nicole Taylor scored 23 points, hitting 11 of 14 foul shots, to lead the York offense and earn the Mike DiRenzo Trophy, given to the tournament’s outstanding sportsman/player.

The Wildcats (21-0) will play two-time defending champion Waterville (21-0), winners of 65 consecutive games, for the state title at 7 p.m. Friday at the Civic Center.

“I’ve never been so confident in one of my teams, defensively,’’ said Rick Clark, in his 27th year as York coach. “If you can play defense like that every single game … these girls bought into that from Day One.’’

York’s 1-3-1 defense forced 21 Greely turnovers and forced the Rangers into a dismal shooting performance. Unable to penetrate the zone for inside shots, the Rangers were forced to the outside – with little success. They missed their first 16 3-point attempts before hitting their final one. Overall, they were 7 of 41 from the floor.

“It just wasn’t there,’’ said Bill Goodman, Greely’s first-year coach. “Open shots, in and out. The ball just didn’t go in.

“And they’re a great team. You’ve got to play your best game against them.’’

York went on an 8-0 run, getting four points apiece from Taylor and 6-foot senior forward Meredith Reid (10 points) to take a 9-2 lead.

Greely, behind Abby Young (13 points) and Megan Grondin (eight), pulled within 9-6 at the end of the first quarter, but that was the closest the Rangers got the rest of the game. York’s defense was stifling and Taylor controlled the inside, allowing the Wildcats to take a 22-14 halftime lead.

York scored the first 10 points of the third quarter, forcing three turnovers, to end any suspense. Taylor scored six points and Yeomelakis had the other two baskets.

“We just played a lot of help defense,’’ said Taylor, who also had 12 rebounds and two blocks. “It was just a great team effort by our defense.’’

And it was a great performance by Taylor, who picked up two fouls in the game’s first 5:23 but stayed in.

“When she got her third foul (in the third quarter), she looked over to me and nodded her head that she was all right,’’ said Clark. “So I kept her in. I wouldn’t do that with everyone. But she’s smart enough to know how to play like that.’’

Yeomelakis, who scored eight points, said it was fitting that Taylor won the tournament’s top individual award.

“No one deserves it more,’’ she said. “That girl works harder than anyone else I know. And it pays off for her.

“She’s an amazing player and contributes exponentially to our team every time we play. She just gets better and better every time out.’’

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:

mlowe@pressherald.com