BATH – There won’t be an undefeated monolith overlooking the Eastern Class A boys’ basketball tournament this year. But we’ll still see a top seed that has beaten everyone on its schedule.

Edward Little High School has now avenged each of its Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference defeats after a 60-47 payback of Morse that smelled easier Friday night.

Corey Therriault led EL (14-2) with 29 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. The Red Eddies have clinched the No. 1 ranking by a bundle with two regular-season games remaining, in part because they returned the favor to Brewer and now Morse by double-digit margins.

“We marked the Brewer game and this one on our schedules,” Therriault said. “We had some good practices the last few days. These are two good wins that prepare us for the tournament.”

Therriault either sank or set up every segment of an 11-0 run to start the second quarter, staking EL to a 28-16 halftime lead. The Eddies made that cushion as hefty as 16 points and might have chased Morse (12-4) out of its gym on Senior Night if not for their 14-for-30 misadventures from the free-throw line.

James Philbrook added 12 points and 20 rebounds for EL. Philbrook joined Therriault with three thefts to lead an Eddies defense that frustrated Morse’s standard one-two punch, Alex Kee and Ryan Chaney, from start to finish.

Kee concluded with 12 points and Chaney went without a field goal until the fourth quarter before finishing with seven points and 17 boards. He was one of three Shipbuilders to foul out.

“We wanted to make sure we were finishing (the season) strong,” said EL coach Mike Adams. “We just want to be peaking and playing stronger and better. We wouldn’t mind seeing them again, because it would mean that we kept winning. They’re certainly good enough to get to the semifinals or finals.”

Alonzo James topped Morse with 16 points. He was the lone consistent perimeter threat for the Shipbuilders, who stumbled to 5-for-27 from the floor in the first half and 19-of-62 (31 percent) overall.

Therriault nearly outscored Morse by himself prior to intermission, chalking up 11 of his 15 in the second period.

After christening the quarter with a free throw, fast break deuce and 3-pointer, Therriault cradled a long rebound and located Philbrook for another easy bucket. With all Morse eyes locked on Therriault during EL’s next possession, the senior slashed into the paint and kicked out to Shane Ciriello.

Ciriello’s first of two unguarded 3-pointers on the night produced a gridiron-like 21-7 score with 5:37 remaining in the half.

Kee canned a 3-pointer to snap the Shipbuilders’ deep freeze, but James’ 12-footer from the left baseline with 23 seconds left represented their next and final field goal of the half.

“We knew we needed to try to contain Alex Kee, because he’s one of the better players in our conference,” Therriault said. “We made him take some tough shots and we locked down on everybody else.”

Morse crept within seven, 39-32, on back-to-back baskets by Michael Walton late in the third.

Bo Leary answered with his first points of the evening and Ciriello rained down another trey – both courtesy of Therriault – to squirm EL out of danger.

EL will finish with Leavitt and Lewiston, followed by the KVAC championship game, before accepting an assignment that hasn’t always proven friendly. The Eddies were eliminated from the regional quarterfinals as an unbeaten top seed in both 2000 and 2007.

“I don’t know if that (top billing) is important anymore,” Adams said, “but we’ll take it.”

“We’ve been in the tournament the last three years and got some experience, so I don’t mind being No. 1 this year,” Therriault echoed. “I think it’s a good feeling.”