AUGUSTA – When things begin to click, it’s nearly impossible to slow down the Jay Tigers.

Shawn Fry and Marc Kelvey combined for 40 points and a smothering defense provided the exclamation point Monday as the second-seeded Tigers routed Old Orchard Beach 76-36 in a Western Class C quarterfinal game at the Augusta Civic Center.

Jay (17-2) dominated the action, limiting the Seagulls to two points in the third quarter and eight points in the entire second half. Despite attempting some high-percentage shots, the Seagulls made three of 21 shots during the final 16 minutes.

The Tigers advance to play Saint Dom’s in the semifinals Thursday night.

“There wasn’t a lot that needed to be said at halftime,” Jay coach Mike Child said. “It was rather obvious because (Corey Smith) had scored 13 points in the first half, so he needed to be stopped. We switched defenses and I put my best defensive player on him in the second half.”

The strategy worked as Smith was held scoreless the rest of the game. After Mike Larochelle scored early in the third quarter, Old Orchard didn’t score for more than eight minutes.

Jay broke the game wide open with a 19-2 run in the third frame to take an insurmountable 51-30 lead. The Tigers picked up the tempo and made eight of their 16 shots.

“In the first half we weren’t working together,” Fry said. “Our ball movement was a

key in the second half. Offensively, we tried a triangle and we were flashing to the ball out front.”

Fry, a transfer, scored a game-high 24 points. Kelvey

(16 points) was deadly from

the perimeter with four 3-pointers.

In the third quarter, Kelvey put in an offensive rebound , Ryan DiPompo (10 points) buried a jumper and Zach Charles (nine points, eight rebounds) scored in the paint.

The Tigers then stole the ball on three straight possessions, with Fry converting two baskets and Shane Bourgault making a conventional three-point play.

“I loved it when we picked up the tempo,” Kelvey said. “That’s the way the team likes it and it really opened things up. Old Orchard tried using a zone against us early on, but we were making the outside shots and by the time they switched to a man-to-man, we just took it to them.”

Old Orchard Beach (11-8) had gone on a 10-point run to trail 32-28 at halftime. Jesse Allen (nine points) and Smith each buried 3-pointers during the spurt.

Jay utilized its team concept and had an inside presence with Fry and Charles, while Justin Wells (eight points) was able to freelance. The Tigers opened up a 30-18 lead on treys by Wells and Kelvey and a Fry jumper.

The Tigers made 16 of 18 free throws, shot 43 percent and despite the fast pace, committed only had 14 turnovers.

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