AUGUSTA — Too many weapons. Too much experience. Too much focus.

No. 2 Dirigo brought all that and more into Saturday night’s Western Class C boys’ final, and ultimately was too much for a game Livermore Falls team to handle.

Spencer Ross led four Dirigo players in double figures with 16 points off the bench and Dirigo shot 57 percent from the floor to earn its second straight regional title with a 69-56 over top-seeded Livermore Falls.

“We’re going to finish it this time, just like we did in football,” Ross said.

Nic Crutchfield tallied 14 points and six rebounds, Eric Bolduc 12 points and Kyle Hutchinson 10 for the Cougars (18-3), while Tyler Chiasson (nine points, nine assists) and Tyler Gates (eight) nearly joined the double-digit club. Chandler White led the Andies (17-4) with 19 points, while Khyle Whittemore added 13.

“They came to play tonight and their focus was on winning the basketball game,” said Dirigo coach Dave Gerrish, whose team was also 15-for-17 from the free throw line.

“That’s the best I’ve ever seen them shoot it,” Livermore Falls coach Travis Magnusson said. “Not that they’re not good shooters, but normally the scouting report is to try to keep them out of the paint and make them beat you from outside. They were just on fire tonight and we really couldn’t do anything about it.”

Livermore Falls, which led once at 5-4, didn’t exactly have a bad night shooting either (50 percent from the floor). That’s why the Andies finally caught Dirigo when Willie Brown opened the fourth quarter to tie it at 47-47. Crutchfield, the tournament’s MVP, answered 19 seconds later to put the Cougars in front to stay. Ross followed with his fourth 3-pointer of the game and the Cougars began to separate themselves with a 13-4 run that gave them a nine-point lead midway through the fourth.

“I knew they wouldn’t be keying on me. I’ve never been keyed on this whole season,” Ross said. “I was just feeling my shot tonight.”

It took some time for both teams to find their shooting touch as they missed some easy inside attempts in the first quarter. Dirigo was more deliberate and efficient, shooting 4-for-7 compared to Livermore Falls’ 3-for-11. The Cougars held an 11-7 lead after one, then went on a 10-4 run to start the second period for a double-digit lead.

Eight points by Ross in the quarter made it 26-15 Cougars with 3:10 left in the half, but the Andies answered with a 9-2 run to end the half. Free throws by White and Derek Castonguay got them back within single digits, then Brown drained a 3 and Tom Ventrella drove uncontested to the hoop to make it a two-point game. Crutchfield gave the Cougars a four-point lead to take into the locker room when he caught Chiasson’s desperation 3-point attempt and laid it in before  the buzzer.

Dirigo tried to pull away by opening up two leads of six points early in the third, but Livermore Falls always had a run of its own to get back within a possession. White was particularly lethal with his ability to penetrate and either get to the hole or pull up for a short jumper.

“We were the 12th seed last year, and the 12th seed normally doesn’t come back and make the Western Maine championship,” Magnusson said. “These seniors have given everything they have to this program. They led from practice, day one, and they’re just the best group of kids I’ve ever seen, off the floor (and) on the floor.”

The MVC rivals split during the regular season, with the Andies winning the second game thanks to a dominant second half performance in the paint and on the boards by Mike Armstrong. Determined not to have a repeat, the Cougars changed-up their normal defensive strategy in the post and held Armstrong to a modest six points and six rebounds.

“We played behind him to start the game, which would seem odd because we usually front the post,” Gerrish said. “Nic did a heck of a job boxing him out from playing behind him instead of in front of him, and that was a big difference for us tonight.”

“I had better position,” Crutchfield said. “With our guard play, they couldn’t get it into the post very easy, so that helped out a lot, too.”