AUGUSTA – Richmond hadn’t played for a Gold Ball in 20 years. Central Aroostook was trying to take home its second in as many years. And the contrast in state championship experience showed.
Central Aroostook jumped out to a 10-0 lead then held off every Richmond run after that to defend their Class D title with a 65-55 win Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center.
Andrew York scored a game-high 21 points to go with four steals to lead the Panthers, while Tim Carlson added 16 points and four steals and Eric Martinez 13 points off the bench. Matt Zaharchuk led Richmond off the bench with 19 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, while Glendon Kendrick added 11 points and seven rebounds.
The poised Panthers (22-1) turned the ball over just six times compared to the 24 turnovers by the Bobcats (17-4) and tied the Class D championship record with seven 3-pointers, shared with three Valley teams.
“We had the experience as far as big games go, but they had the experience as far as playing on this floor,” said Central Aroostook coach Timothy Brewer. “This is my sixth year coaching and this is the most competitive group of kids I’ve coached, especially (seniors) Taylor (McLaughlin, who had eight points and eight boards) and Andrew. They just refuse to lose.”
Carlson drilled a pair of 3-pointers in the first 81 seconds to send the Panthers off. Zaharchuk, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, checked into the game and proved a difficult match-up for the Panthers, whose tallest player is York at 6-foot-2. He scored six of the Bobcats’ first eight points to help pull them back within eight at the end of the first quarter.
The Bobcats got to within four early in the second quarter and five late in the period, but Central Aroostook responded each time to carry a nine-point lead into halftime.
“Our effort matched theirs’. It’s just that they’re a great team that shoots the ball extremely well,” Richmond coach Paul Lancaster said. “Every time we made a run, they had an answer.”
Zaharchuk got the Bobcats going inside again to start the second half with back-to-back buckets to narrow the deficit to seven. York shot the lead back into double digits for good with the record-tying 3-pointer with 4:50 left in the third. That sparked a 9-0 run from which the Bobcats never recovered.
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