HS Basketball Tourn
 Ramblers keep the faith, 72-62
AUGUSTA - Believe.
Winthrop had no problem with Calais' perfection
AUGUSTA - Dirigo. Mountain Valley. Boothbay. Maranacook. Messalonskee. Mt. Ararat. Hyde. Traip.
Stags stifle Rams
PORTLAND - Bangor unbeatable? To everyone but the Cheverus Stags, apparently.
Turnovers take toll on Buckfield
AUGUSTA - The difference between your greatest strength and fatal flaw, typically, is moderation.
Vikes' late charge is just not enough
PORTLAND — They upset Bangor. They stunned Lawrence. They shocked Cony.
Community comes out to cheer on Vikings
PORTLAND — The officials at the scorer’s table didn’t notice. The referee’s on the court didn’t notice.
Foul trouble, free throws doom Bucks
AUGUSTA - The record for most free throws by one team in a Class D girls' basketball championship game fell in 2007 and was matched Monday night.
Central Aroostook shakes off Richmond, 54-53
AUGUSTA - Last team with the ball wins.
Winthrop is ready to face run-and-gun Calais squad
WINTHROP - Winthrop senior Ezra Damm knows his Ramblers are widely considered heavy underdogs when they meet two-time defending state champions Calais in the Class C title game (Saturday, 9 p.m., Augusta Civic Center).
Enough of this winter stuff
You, the honest, working public, are consumed by fiendish glee when someone in my oft-ignoble profession is shamed into feasting upon his words.
Underdogs? Feels like the very first time
BUCKFIELD - It wasn't too long after completing a perfect regular season and Western D tournament that things changed.
Oxford Hills preparing for aggressive opponents
PORTLAND - If there is one game film that might be crucial to Oxford Hills in Monday's Class A state championship game, it won't be one that includes the Deering Rams.
Martin leads Maranacook to state title
You can shadow, swarm, suffocate and otherwise pester Ryan Martin by putting your best defender in his personal space all night long, as Cape Elizabeth tried Friday night.
Waterville wins at wet auditorium
Fortunately for the Waterville Senior High School girls' basketball team, its defense held water more efficiently Friday night than the inverted, V-shaped roof at aging Bangor Auditorium.
Frozen in time
Six to 10 inches of snow is worth a pound of cure to the Winthrop Ramblers.
A program progresses
AUGUSTA - After a win over Bangor in the Eastern A quarterfinal, Nate Pelletier told his Oxford Hills girls that he wasn't satisfied.
Oxford Hills tickets
Tickets for the girls' Class A basketball state final are on sale at the Oxford Hills Athletic Office from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. through today. Tickets are $8 for reserved seating, $7 for general admission for adults and $4 for general admission for students.
Winthrop's Foster steps up
WINTHROP - Strength and endurance.
The Hot Corner: Tournament wrapup
Thirty-two.
Black Bears find success on the road
They don't have the luxury of playing their tournament 15 minutes next door in Augusta, but the Maranacook Black Bears' second Eastern Class B boys' title in three years shouldn't be overlooked.
Teams bring glory to wetsern hills
AUGUSTA - Who would have ever thought that Oxford County would be a hot bed of Maine basketball in late February?
Strategy pays off
AUGUSTA - Every scouting report on Dirigo laid out the same plan for beating them - swarm Thomas Knight and Colby Knapp in the post and make the guards beat you. But Winthrop, which had beaten everyone but the Cougars to that point, took a lesson from two close losses.
Winthrop steps up
AUGUSTA - Three was the magic number for Winthrop.
Buckfield rumbles to victory over Vinalhaven
AUGUSTA - Apparently, blondes do have more fun, and so do a few brunettes and a redhead.
Bucks rebound perfectly after last year's loss
AUGUSTA - How could perfect be more perfect?
Madison edges Monmouth for trophy
AUGUSTA - The largest potential threat to Madison's seemingly inevitable claim to a Western C title this year has been Monmouth Academy.
Monmouth fought until the very end
AUGUSTA - Eight seconds and a fraction showed on the clock when Monmouth Academy senior girls' basketball teammates Jill Armstrong and Jenn Lola embraced at the south foul line on the Augusta Civic Center court Saturday night.
Richmond will contend for state championship
AUGUSTA - Sam Carter had three points in top-seeded Richmond's first two wins of the Western Class D tournament, but that wasn't anything unexpected.
Vikes rally for Eastern A title
AUGUSTA - There have been times this season that the Oxford Hills girls' basketball team couldn't help but feel this year just wasn't meant to be.
Bangor bucks Eddies, 61-54
AUGUSTA - Edward Little thought the stars were aligned for an upset over the Bangor juggernaut in the Eastern Class A championship Friday night.
Buckfield expects to see different Vinalhaven team
AUGUSTA - Back-to-back wins on a weekend in January don't mean a whole lot to the Buckfield girls right now.
Red Eddies kept Rams on guard all season
AUGUSTA - The Patriots. The Soviets. Mike Tyson. Bangor High School.
Monmouth, Madison face off for the fourth time
AUGUSTA - There won't be much need for introductions Saturday night.
Cony's dynasty shattered by Vikings
AUGUSTA - The Vi-Queens did it.
Winthrop drops Traip Leclerc, Foster guide Ramblers
AUGUSTA - Sam Leclerc was the man with the plan. Larry Foster was the man of action.
Dirigo lays Law down
AUGUSTA - Finally, after a week's worth of mismatches, slowdowns and anticlimactic endings, Dirigo and Boothbay gave the tournament faithful at Augusta Civic Center a boys' basketball game they won't forget for a while.
Buckfield shuts down Richmond
AUGUSTA - You know, when you're cruising along at a high rate of speed, getting to where you're going in good time, but then all of a sudden, you hit a speed bump or pothole or two, and that slows you down?
Madison ends St. Dom's dream run
AUGUSTA - St. Dom's didn't play like a girls' basketball team merely content to be here. Problem is, Madison didn't play like a team satisfied to stop here.
Saints marching on
Some teams conclude the tournament every year feeling like they fell short of expectations or left a few business items unfinished.
Mustangs knock Flyers for a loop
AUGUSTA - When Waynflete School played the Monmouth Mustangs in the preseason, the Flyers didn't get much of a look at Alyssa Morin.
Oxford Hills confident in Cony's second home
AUGUSTA - Not many teams have beaten the Cony Rams in Augusta.
Vikings conquer bulldogs
AUGUSTA - It was physical. It was an offensive struggle. It was a grind for both teams. You might say it was downright ugly.
EL runs away from Lawrence
AUGUSTA - Edward Little coach Mike Adams summed up why his team might have fallen under the radar of some high school basketball observers this season, and why they have emerged as a team to no one wants to face.
Eddies' persistence pays off
AUGUSTA - Whether they won or lost, they knew they had not played their best.
Rams send Cougars packing
AUGUSTA - Let the people who paid $7 to watch and the ones who insist that the better team must always win complain, if they wish.
Coach supports ref's tough call
Getting ejected from a tournament basketball game is tougher and rarer than being whistled for a minor penalty in overtime of a hockey playoff.
Bobcats drown Lakers
AUGUSTA - No wagering here at the Western Class D boys' basketball tournament, of course, but it's safe to say Richmond would be at least a six-point favorite over every other team in the field, to begin with.
Monmouth, Wayneflete advance in Class C
Monmouth 49, Hall-Dale 33
Greely puts end to Falcons' season
PORTLAND - High school tournament basketball is often about resilience, and the winners can have just as much of it as the losers.
Buckfield, Richmond advance in Tuesday morning action from Augusta
Buckfield 85, Seacoast Christian 29
Buckfield advances to semifinals
AUGUSTA - The last time the Buckfield girls' basketball left the Augusta Civic Center, they returned home with broken hearts. Tuesday, the Bucks nearly left town with broken records.
Saint Dominating!
AUGUSTA - Scan its roster, watch it run the floor, steer your eyes up and down its bench, and St. Dominic Regional High School just has that look of a team that we're going to be seeing over and over again in the future at Augusta Civic Center.
Falmouth ends G-NG hopes
PORTLAND - The Falmouth Yachtsmen understandably looked a little confused on offense at times on Tuesday Their coach was pleading patience, but the Gray-New Gloucester defense was leading them to force things.
Monmouth knocks off Hall-Dale
AUGUSTA - Defense may win games, but offense helps make it easier to do so.
Waynflete heads to Class C semis
AUGUSTA - Basketball tournament math quiz: Is it better to rattle off 14 unanswered points in the second half of a quarterfinal game, or to watch your star embark upon one mini-run after another, all afternoon?
St. Dom's, Waynflete roll with the changes
There's a unique connection between the St. Dom's and Waynflete girls' basketball teams, and it's not just that the Western Maine Conference rivals have qualified for a Western Class C semifinal round that the Mountain Valley Conference has ruled forever.
Western Class D Girls quarterfinals
Valley 40, Rangeley 15
Monday's Western Class C boys' afternoon session
Winthrop 81, Hyde 71
Ramblers foil Phoenix
AUGUSTA - Hyde's energy and quickness was giving second-seeded Winthrop trouble during Monday's Western Class C quarterfinal, but when coach Tom Bragg looked down through the end of his bench, he saw a lot of bodies, but just not a lot of help.
Girls' Western Maine Class D preview for Tuesday
Good morning from the Augusta Civic Center. It feels like I just did this yesterday. Oh yeah, I did do this yesterday. Back at 10 a.m. for another six games and 12-plus hours of basketball. First up today is the Richmond-Forest Hills matchup. The unbeaten Buckfield girls play Seacoast after that.
Cougars dismiss Panthers
AUGUSTA - Slowing the pace down against a team such as Dirigo that relies on aggressiveness and motion to make its offense go is fine, as long as your team can get itself out of park when the time calls for it.
Seahawks soar, pick apart Andies, 65-38
AUGUSTA - The Boothbay boys' basketball team arrived in Augusta Monday night by bus.
With no double-duty, Kane feeling refreshed
AUGUSTA - If Dirigo boys' basketball coach Gavin Kane looks fresher at this time of year than he has in the last couple of seasons, that's because he is.
Valley drains Lakers
AUGUSTA - Jocelyn Lawyerson has seen plenty of basketball games at the Augusta Civic Center.
No deja vu all over again for EL
Edward Little coach Mike Adams admitted there was a sense of deja vu when his favored Eddies struggled through the middle stages of Saturday's quarterfinal with seventh-seeded Messalonskee.
Western D girls' quarterfinal preview
At the Augusta Civic Center
Saturday's Western Class D recaps and box scores
AUGUSTA - No. 1 Richmond hit 10 3-pointers in its 67-37 Western Class D boys' quarterfinal rout of No. 8 Buckfield.
Richmond pummels Buckfield
AUGUSTA - Pressure.
Forest Hills ends 16-year drought
AUGUSTA - Sixteen years of tournament frustration? Not so bad. The truly trying passage for Forest Hills Consolidated School: Fifteen minutes of real time with Cody Gilboe sitting on the bench at Augusta Civic Center during Saturday's third quarter, nursing both four fouls and a splitting headache.
EL works overtime
AUGUSTA - Saturday's Eastern Class A quarterfinal with seventh-seeded Messalonskee had all the makings of yet another trap game for No. 2 Edward Little.
Free throws haunt Falcons
PORTLAND - Charity may begin at home, but for Mountain Valley, it ended at the Portland Expo.
Mt. Blue rolls to easy victory over Cony
AUGUSTA - Mt. Blue boys' basketball standouts Joe Gilbert and Jamie Sawyer say they believed the Cougars would be here in the Eastern Class A tournament all along, and the rest of us have no choice but to believe them.
Lakers trio neutralize Stinglen
AUGUSTA - Tough to stop Jordan Stinglen. Tougher, still, when your best defender is in foul trouble. And so, it was tough to imagine Rangeley letting Seacoast Christian's 1,000-point career scorer light it up for 39 points Saturday afternoon and living to tell about it.
Oakes and Mills, live from Augusta: Friday afternoon
AUGUSTA - You don't win 15 games and emerge as the No. 2 girls' basketball team in the region by being one-dimensional.
Friday's late games on the fly: Oxford Hills, Lawrence prevail
AUGUSTA - When all else fails, get Kari Pelletier to the line.
Vikes down Rams, 54-50
AUGUSTA - It had been nearly three weeks since Megan Joyce and Lindsay Fox played in a basketball game. After injuries late in the regular season put them out of action, their return for the postseason was questionable.
Girls' Basketball Tourney: Moments That Become Memories
There will be moments that last a lifetime.
Girls' quarterfinal predictions
Eastern Maine Class A Quarterfinals
Forget the Patriots: It's HS Hoops time!
We live for this.
A couple years back, that slogan was the ridiculous and forgettable sales pitch for, um, help me. Was it the NFL? NBA? NHL? NASCAR? No, wait: Major League Baseball. I think.
Page 2: Western B breakdown
Shaine Burks, Cape Elizabeth forward; Andrew Dickey, Cape Elizabeth forward; Lucas Denning, Yarmough guard; Joe Dilworth, Yarmouth guard; Owen Jones, Mountain Valley forward; Justin Staires, Mountain Valley guard; Spenser Adams, Greely guard; Stefano Mancini, Falmouth guard; John Klages, Freeport forward; Phil Leighton, Lake Region guard; Demitrios Gatozgiannis, Wells center.
Page 2: Western C breakdown
Colby Knapp, Dirigo forward, Thomas Knight, Dirigo center; Sam Leclerc, Winthrop guard, Tim Gingras, Winthrop forward; Trevor Higgins, Traip forward; Kris Noonan, Boothbay center; David Duncan, Hyde center, Brandon Vize, Hyde guard; Liam Anderson, NYA forward, Andrew Gendron, NYA guard; Ryan Leach, Hall-Dale guard; Zach Keene, Livermore Falls guard.
Page 2: Western D breakdown
Brandon Lancaster, Richmond guard, Marc Zaharchuk, Richmond center; Trevor Miller, Valley center; Jeff Mulhall, Forest Hills guard; David Raymond, Rangeley guard; Kent Madiera, Rangeley forward; Jordan Stinglen, Seacoast Christian center; Malcolm Turner, Elan forward; T.J. St. Louis, Greenville guard; Cy Wilkinson, Buckfield forward/guard; Kyle Rines, Buckfield guard.
Page 2: Eastern Class A breakdown
Jon McAllian, Bangor guard; Ryan Weston, Bangor center; Corey Therriault, Edward Little forward; Kyle Philbrook, Edward Little guard; Brad Haase, Hampden Academy guard; Justin Brown, Hampden Academy center; Andrew Pullen, Cony forward; Brian Carville, Cony guard; Ben Russell, Mt. Blue guard; Jamie Sawyer, Mt. Blue guard; Shawn Champagne, Lawrence guard; Wes Sexton, Lawrence forward; Orlando Holmes, Messalonskee forward; Taurean Eastern, Brunswick forward.
Page 2: Boys tournament overview
One year ago, Edward Little entered the Eastern Class A tournament undefeated, ranked No. 1 and led by a University of Maine-bound senior. The Red Eddies got knocked out of the quarterfinals by Hampden Academy. Now, it's the defending state champion Bangor Rams who are unbeaten, top-seeded and led by a future Black Bear. But Jon McAllian has a much more tournament-tested supporting cast than Troy Barnies did for the Eddies, and the Rams are the prohibitive favorites in the state. The 6-foot-6 McAllian and 6-foot-7 center Ryan Weston give the Rams the size advantage over every team in the region. Second-seeded EL came closest to beating the Rams this year, 56-53, on Jan. 28. The Eddies have won 11 of 12 since then, and with their quickness up front (Corey Therriault) and in the backcourt (Kyle Philbrook, Eric Prue) present almost as many match-up problems as Bangor does. Hampden Academy, Cony and Mt. Blue have been tough outs in recent years, so an upset or two isn't out of the question.
'Hounds muzzled
LEWISTON - These foul shots weren't so free.
Fearless Bucks frighten Lions
BUCKFIELD - Buckfield didn't look or play like the No. 8 team in Western Class D Thursday night, throttling No. 9 Greater Portland Christian, 59-27, in a preliminary tournament game.
Patriots shine, scuttle stubborn Clippers, 43-39
GRAY - Rachel Clement and Amanda Valente each hit a bucket in the closing seconds of the second overtime Thursday to give No. 7 Gray-New Gloucester a wild 43-39 Western Class B preliminary round win over No. 10 Yarmouth.
Andies handle Huskies
BETHEL - After spending the first half getting themselves accustomed to the cavernous confines of Farnsworth Field House, the 12th-seeded Livermore Falls Andies went into attack mode at both ends of the floor in the second half, then overcame some foul shooting struggles down the stretch, to upset No. 5 Gould Academy, 40-37, in their Western C prelim Thursday.
Page 2: Eastern Maine Class A Capsule
Brogan Liberty, Lawrence guard (16.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg); Alexa Bernatchez, Lawrence forward (14.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg); Jill Henrikson, Morse guard (19.6 ppg); Shelby Pelkey, Cony guard (11 ppg, 25 three-pointers); Rachel Mack, Cony center (18.4 ppg, 18.4 rpg); Amy Hackett, Bangor guard (10.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg); Kari Pelletier, Oxford Hills guard (17.1 ppg); Claire Baecher, Brunswick center (13.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg); Kaley Brown, Skowhegan center (14.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg); Hannah Dexter, Messalonskee guard (14.8 ppg).
Page 2: Western Maine Class B Capsule
Renee Nicholas, Lake Region guard (11.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg); Haley Jordan, Falmouth guard (12 ppg); Morgan Furman, Falmouth forward (10.1 ppg, 6 rpg); Tanya Martin, Mountain Valley guard (9.4 ppg), Vanessa Cayer, Mountain Valley forward (12 ppg, 5.9 rpg); Nikki Taylor, York center (12.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg); Coreen Hennesey, Fryeburg guard (17.7 ppg); Megan McDevitt, Greely forward.
Page 2: Western Maine Class C Capsule
Margo Russell, Madison center; Danielle Hebert, Madison guard; Briann Emery, Madison guard; Jenn Lola, Monmouth guard; Jill Armstrong, Monmouth guard; Alyssa Morin, Monmouth forward; Margaret Veroneau, Waynflete guard; Morgan Woodhouse, Waynflete forward; Catherine Joseph, St. Dom's forward; Allaina Murphy, St. Dom's forward; Kenni Norton, Mt. Abram guard; Janessa Thomas, Mt. Abram forward.
Page 2: Western Maine Class D Capsule
Alyssa Henderson, Buckfield guard (9 ppg); Lindsay Henderson, Buckfield forward (11 ppg); Ashlee Hamann, Buckfield guard (12.5 ppg) Morgan Staples, Valley guard (13 ppg); Amelia Davidson, Vinalhaven guard; Melanie Schanck, Richmond guard; Crystal Allen, Forest Hills forward (11 ppg, 9 rpg); Jessica Worster, Forest Hills guard (11 ppg, 7 rpg); Krista Jamison, Rangeley forward (14 ppg, 10 rpg).
Page 2: Girls' Basketball Tournament Overview
Eastern A: If I didn't know that Cindy Blodgett was in Orono, I'd think this was the early 1990's. Lawrence and Cony are the teams to beat. Morse has an excellent team but hasn't proven it can beat the top teams, losing to Cony and Lawrence by an average of 22 points. Oxford Hills' injury woes could prove too much for the Vikings. That leaves Lawrence and Cony. The Rams have plenty of history and familiarity at the ACC. Mack and Pelkey make for a tough duo that could lead the Rams to a title. The rest of the Cony lineup is still young and unproven at this level. Lawrence has a balanced lineup and a doggish defense. They looked pretty comfortable at the ACC last year and return ready for something more. It could be Cony and Lawrence for the title once again but no Blodgett. It's tough to pick against the Rams, but the Bulldogs balance and experience could get them through.
Weather postpones tournament games
Looking for something to watch tonight?
Hebron's defense quiets Kents Hill in prelims
HEBRON - Andrea Hart poured in 13 points Tuesday night to lead Hebron to a 38-23 victory over Kents Hill in Western Class C.
Woodhouse, Waynflete oust Dirigo, 71-36
PORTLAND - Morgan Woodhouse led the charge as No. 3 Waynflete defeated No. 1 4 Dirigo 71-36 in Western Maine Class C girls' basketball preliminary round play.
Early exit for EL
AUBURN - It took most of the first half for the Edward Little girls' basketball team to build its 10-point lead.
Georges Valley rallies past Telstar
DIXFIELD - The Telstar girls basketball team had some chances down the stretch, but the shots failed to find their mark in a Class C preliminary playoff game.
Woodman sparks Mustangs
MONMOUTH - Thanks to a gritty, athletic defensive effort by Traip, Monmouth's Jenn Lola didn't have her usual dominating performance Tuesday night.
Roadrunners stay step ahead of Tigers
SALEM - State champion, conference rival and season-long nemesis Mt. Abram looked like the worst possible Western Class C girls' basketball preliminary pairing for Jay.
Oak Hill's comeback falls short at Wells
WELLS - Having not been a part of the boys' invitational basketball tournament in 13 years, Oak Hill was bound to need some time to find its playoff legs.
Hyde bounces St. Dom's
BATH - Perhaps it was a bit of frustration setting in. Maybe there was a bit of built-up animosity.
Saints shine, top Phoenix
BATH - No more than one point separated Hyde from St. Dom's after each of the first three quarters Tuesday, and until the final two minutes, neither team led by more than five.
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