PARIS — Ten days without a win might have brought back some bad memories of a midseason losing skid in January 2011 for the Lewiston boys’ basketball team.

If nothing else Friday night, the vastly superior 2012 Blue Devils showed they haven’t forgotten how to play with a slim lead.

Lewiston never trailed but survived a flurry of Oxford Hills possessions that could have tied the game or put the Vikings ahead before locking up a 45-40 KVAC victory.

“It’s good. It’s nice. It feels like we hadn’t won in forever, but we’re still 9-3,” Lewiston senior guard Luke Cote said. “Hopefully this will put us back on track.”

Cote led Lewiston with 12 points, including a transition layup and five free throws in the fateful fourth quarter. The steal that led to his breakaway basket was his fourth of the game.

Jake Dumas, a 6-foot-4 senior center, brought a season-high 11 points off the bench.

He also was part of a defensive effort along with Corbin Hyde, Steven Patrie and Cody Mousseau that held Oxford Hills big man Josh MacDonald to one point.

“I’ve been waiting. Every game I feel like I’ve kind of been behind, so this was kind of my breakout game,” Dumas said. “I think we all played well tonight.”

Lewiston led 15-3 at the end of one quarter and nursed a 32-26 advantage until Nick Record rained down a 3-pointer inside the third-period horn.

Brian Lynch hit a free throw to bring Oxford Hills (3-8) within one at the start of the fourth, and the Vikings’ comeback bid was in high gear.

Two potential go-ahead 3-pointers clanged off the rim. Another trip down the floor with the Vikings down by two ended in a turnover.

“I’m proud of the way we hung in there. There were probably three or four times where it was a one-possession game,” Oxford Hills coach Scott Graffam said. “That’s been our Achilles’ heel all season, hurrying shots or not shooting well. But I’ll tell you, we defended and we played hard. I think they’re a legitimate Eastern Maine title contender.”

John Frechette’s 3-pointer brought Oxford Hills within a pair for the final time at 37-35 with 3:30 remaining.

It was the Vikings’ final field goal until the final 15 seconds. And with Lewiston already in the double bonus, that was a deadly dry spell.

Cote and Dumas combined to hit seven of their next eight from the line.

“It felt like one of those games where we had to find some energy,” Lewiston coach Tim Farrar said. “That’s why we played a lot of guys, trying to find who the hot hand was. Jake definitely played his best game this year.”

Hyde and Patrie each added six points for Lewiston, with Hyde — who sat out a 57-46 home win over Oxford Hills earlier in the season due to injury — tearing down 14 rebounds.

Lynch led the Vikings off the bench with 11 points, including a pair of third-quarter 3-pointers. Six of Oxford Hills’ 14 field goals were from beyond the arc.

“We left them open more than we wanted on the perimeter, but I think that was more an effect of hammering MacDonald inside,” Dumas said.

Frechette and Alex Ferguson each added eight points for Oxford Hills.

The Vikings missed eight shots in a row to start the game and 10 of their first 11.

They atoned with defense, limiting Lewiston to 8-of-36 from the floor over the final three quarters.

“This is the game I expected. The second quarter I thought we had opportunities to really stretch the game. They couldn’t hit a shot,” Farrar said. “Then in the third quarter they hit some shots and I said, ‘Oh boy, here they come.’

“We’ve got to play better than that. Maybe when you lose a couple in a row and haven’t been playing your best, that happens.”

Lewiston dropped back-to-back games to Mt. Blue and Lawrence after a huge win over Hampden on Jan. 6.

“It’s good to get our confidence back. I think that will carry into the future,” Dumas said.

[email protected]