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.

Now give up a shooting foul and two technicals in the first quarter and concede six consecutive free throws to Marc Zaharchuk, the 6-foot-10 senior center who's closer to Steve Nash than he is Shaquille O'Neal at the line.

The odds instantly became insurmountable for No. 4 Rangeley, which fought furiously to trim an early 18-point deficit in half before falling to No. 1 Richmond, 68-45, in a Wednesday semifinal at the Augusta Civic Center.

Richmond (18-1) led by two when referee T.J. Halliday whistled Rangeley for a hack against Zaharchuk under the basket, then slapped Kent Madeira with a pair of technicals for things done and said in the aftermath.

Brandon Lancaster's inside basket on the ensuing possession essentially made it an eight-point play and a 20-8 lead for the Bobcats. Plus, Madeira's automatic ejection for the double technical wreaked havoc with the Lakers' already paper-thin depth.

"No question, it did a lot of different things," Rangeley coach Tom Philbrick said of the exchange. "It changed the whole scheme of things. The kids responded, and we hung in for a long time. Down the stretch, we just ran out of gas."

Zaharchuk went 10-for-11 from the line and led Richmond with 28 points. He patrolled the paint with six rebounds and four blocked shots.

Brandon Lancaster added 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Walter Miller scored eight of his 11 points in the first quarter.

"To come out as strong as we did, I think that helped to ease off a bit of the nerves," Lancaster said.

Miller and Lancaster combined for five of Richmond's seven 3-pointers, giving the Bobcats 17 through the first two rounds of the tourney. But the impetus for Richmond's lead came from a much closer stripe, and without the token distraction of flailing hands in its face.

"I hate to take that, but you take it because it's part of the game," Richmond coach Paul Lancaster said of the free-throw bonanza. "It really got us going. I think it relaxed us offensively."

Richmond advanced to the regional final for the third straight February. The Bobcats will meet East-West Conference rival Valley at 2:45 p.m. Saturday.

Rangeley (11-9) surrendered the first seven points of the second quarter to fall in to a 30-12 hole. Thanks chiefly to senior marksman Devon Sargent, the Lakers lowered the hurdle to 39-27 at the half and even crept within single digits, 46-37, on David Raymond's 25-footer with 2:18 remaining in the third quarter.

Lancaster and Zaharchuk scored the next seven points for Richmond to stave off the improbable rally.

Sargent scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half. Eric Murrin and Chris Holden alternated defensively to smother Sargent after intermission.

"Murrin was the player of the game for the job he did, in my opinion," coach Lancaster said.

Raymond scored eight points and Ben Bliss six in a reserve role for Rangeley, which was down two starters after Madeira's departure. Quinn Philbrick missed the tournament due to injury.

"It got away from us," said coach Philbrick. "Some kids wanted a break, and we aren't deep enough with our bench to do what needed to be done."