AUGUSTA — Dirigo didn’t want, wouldn’t accept, couldn’t afford another slow start in Saturday night’s Western Class C boys’ basketball championship.
How does near perfection grab you, Cougars?
After a tournament week of epic, early struggles, Dirigo put Boothbay down by a baker’s dozen with a staggering burst from the blocks.
It held up — barely. The relentless little-engine-that-could from the coast clawed within one point in the fourth quarter, but No. 1 Dirigo held on by its paws for a 53-48 victory over No. 2 Boothbay.
Dirigo (19-2) is the first school since Falmouth to win three consecutive Western C titles. The Yachtsmen fashioned four straight from 1996 to ’99.
The Cougars left their mark on Maine hoop history with three different coaches: Gavin Kane, Dave Gerrish, and now Rebecca Fletcher, who is the first woman to lead a boys’ team to a championship in any class.
Next up: A trip to the Bangor Auditorium at 8:45 p.m. next Saturday, March 5. Dirigo has lost to Calais and Washington Academy in its last two tries.
“We hope to turn things around this year,” senior Spencer Ross said. “We’re not coming back with a loss again.”
Defense and scoring balance were Dirigo’s calling cards throughout the title run, and Saturday night was no exception.
Four players scored in double figures for the Cougars, who start four juniors and a senior.
Cody St. Germain led the charge with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots. He followed in the footsteps of Tom Knight and Nic Crutchfield by winning the C. Harry Edwards Award, symbolic of the tournament’s outstanding player and sportsman.
Ben Holmes added 13 points and six rebounds. Ross, the lone senior on the court for much of the night, scored eight of his 11 points in the first quarter. Josh Turbide added 10.
Dan Dickinson topped Boothbay (17-4) with 14 points. Anthony Dimauro tallied 12.
Boothbay twice trimmed the gap to one point in the closing stages. Dimauro drained two free throws to make it 47-46 with 2:27 left.
After an exchange of turnovers, Ross and Dimauro hit matching pairs of free throws.
Turbide was next to the line with 40 seconds left. He benefited from a kind rim and watched his first try rattle left, right, then through before missing the second.
“I was just standing there looking at it saying, ‘come … on … go … in’,” Turbide said.
The Seahawks missed a chance to tie prior to St. Germain grabbing perhaps the biggest defensive rebound of his life.
“That’s how it’s been all year,” St. Germain said. “Rebounding and defense have been big things for us.”
Boothbay promptly fouled St. Germain, who knocked down both halves of the double bonus.
Ross tacked on a free throw with eight seconds left.
“We had to handle their pressure,” Fletcher said of Dirigo’s fourth-quarter survival. “We finished the way we needed to.”
Nothing like the way Dirigo started, however.
With Turner’s crisp distribution, Ross and Turbide’s 3-point accuracy, St. Germain’s dominance down low and Holmes’ nose for the ball, Dirigo dominated at both ends of the floor.
The Cougars were 7-for-9 from the floor and forced four turnovers.
“That’s my game. I look to drive the lane and kick it out if guys are open,” Turner said. “Guys were hitting outside shots tonight.”
Three of Boothbay’s six missed shots were blocked by St. Germain.
Holmes and Ross each sank a pair of free throws before Dirigo started raining down perimeter bombs. Holmes located both Turbide and Ross for treys in a 90-second span.
Turner dished to St. Germain for inside buckets on consecutive possessions, then furnished Ross another 3-pointer. Turbide’s fastbreak layup fattened the lead to a baker’s dozen after one period.
“I just looked for a lane and found it,” Turbide said.
“We made shots tonight, which was nice,” said Fletcher. “It was great to start that way.”
Dirigo cooled and Boothbay heated up, and hovered, and lurked, and threatened.
Jake Simmons and Dickinson combined for nine points in the second quarter to bring Boothbay within seven, 26-19.
The Seahawks forced 13 of the Cougars’ 22 turnovers after halftime.
Every time Dirigo absolutely needed a basket, however, St. Germain or Holmes cashed in down low against smaller Boothbay, which didn’t start a player taller than six feet.
“I was a guard last year,” Holmes said. “I’m still working on making the transition.”
So is a young team that figures to be back next year, too. All five Dirigo starters graduated from the 2010 outfit.
Dirigo took two of three from Boothbay in a thrilling series. The Cougars won 68-62 on the road during the regular season. Boothbay returned the favor, 89-88, in double OT in the MVC championship.
AUGUSTA — Dirigo didn’t want, wouldn’t accept, couldn’t afford another slow start in Saturday night’s Western Class C boys’ basketball championship.
How does near perfection grab you, Cougars?
After a tournament week of epic, early struggles, Dirigo put Boothbay down by a baker’s dozen with a staggering burst from the blocks.
It held up — barely. The relentless little-engine-that-could from the coast clawed within one point in the fourth quarter, but No. 1 Dirigo held on by its paws for a 53-48 victory over No. 2 Boothbay.
Dirigo (19-2) is the first schoool since Falmouth to win three consecutive Western C titles. The Yachtsmen fashioned four straight from 1996 to ’99.
The Cougars left their mark on Maine hoop history with three different coaches: Gavin Kane, Dave Gerrish, and now Rebecca Fletcher, who is the first woman to lead a boys’ team to a championship in any class.
Defense and scoring balance were Dirigo’s calling cards throughout the title run, and Saturday night was no exception.
Four players scored in double figures for the Cougars, who start four juniors and a senior.
Cody St. Germain led the charge with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots. He followed in the footsteps of Tom Knight and Nic Crutchfield by winning the C. Harry Edwards Award, symbolic of the tournament’s outstanding player and sportsman.
Ben Holmes added 13 points and six rebounds. Spencer Ross, the lone senior on the court for much of the night, scored eight of his 11 points in the first quarter. Josh Turbide added 10.
Dan Dickinson topped Boothbay (17-4) with 14 points. Anthony Dimauro tallied 12.
Dirigo lke
With Turner’s crisp distribution, Ross and Turbide’s 3-point accuracy, St. Germain’s dominance down low and Holmes’ nose for the ball, Dirigo dominated at both ends of the floor.
The Cougars were 7-for-9 from the floor and forced four turnovers. Three of Boothbay’s six missed shots were blocked by St. Germain.
Holmes and Ross each sank a pair of free throws before Dirigo started raining down perimeter bombs. Holmes located both Turbide and Ross for treys in a 90-second span.
Turner dished to St. Germain for inside buckets on consecutive possessions, then furnished Ross another 3-pointer. Turbide’s fastbreak layup crested the lead at 13 before quarter’s end.
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