MADISON — Samantha Richards threw in the game-winning basket with 2.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Phoenix a 46-44 victory over Madison in a girls’ basketball game Thursday.

It was a tight game as undefeated Spruce Mountain (5-0) took 24-23 lead going into the second half.

Richards had eight points and teammates Emily Keene and Vanesa Barnes each scored nine points. The Bulldogs’ (4-1) Samantha Bruce tossed in the game-high 19 points and pulled down five rebounds. Teammate Bronte Elias dropped in 14 and grabbed six rebounds.

Forest Hills 56, Buckfield 30

BUCKFIELD — Kori Coro shelled Buckfield with five 3-pointers and scored the game-high 24 points as undefeated Forest Hills (6-0) waltzed past Buckfield with a 56-30 victory in a girls’ basketball game Thursday.

Forest Hills took a 25-10 lead in the first half. Anna Carrier scored 12 points.

For the Bucks (1-4), Mishell Mazon scored eight points and ripped down 15 rebounds.

Mt. Abram 41, Dirigo 35

SALEM — Mikayla Luce led the way with 14 points and Miranda Smith added 13 more to lead Mt. Abram to a 41-35 win over visiting Dirigo in MVC girls’ basketball action Thursday.

The Roadrunners’ (3-2) Jill Howard hit the game’s only 3-pointer.

Emma Lueders and Jess Conant each had eight points in the loss for the Cougars.

Rangeley 65, Pine Tree 23

RANGELEY — Blake Morin drained a game-high 19 points and pulled down five rebounds as Rangeley raced out to a 35-point halftime lead and cruised to a 65-23 victory over Pine Tree Academy in Class D basketball action Thursday.

Taylor Esty added 14 points for the Lakers (2-0), while Tori Letarte chipped in with 10. Jenney Abbott led the rebounding effort with seven.

Allison Verrill paced the Pine Tree offense with 15 of the team’s 23 points.

Gray-NG 41, Wells 39

WELLS — The Gray-New Gloucester girls’ basketball team made 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold to a 41-39 victory in a girls’ basketball game Thursday.

The Patriots (4-1) jumped out to a 17-13 lead at halftime and they hit 16 of 19 foul shots for the night.

Stephanie Greaton scored 11 points and Maria Valente added 10.

For Wells (2-4), Sophie Lamb scored a game-high 12 points. Alison Furness scored 10 points.

Boys’ basketball

Spruce Mountain 50, Madison 42

MADISON — John McKenna scored 11 points and teammates Tyler Kachnovich and Deonte Ring each dropped in 10 as Spruce Mountain stopped Madison, 50-42, in a boys’ basketball game Thursday night.

The Phoenix (3-2) had two big quarters, scoring 18 in the second and 13 in the crucial fourth quarter. Spruce Mountain took a 29-20 lead at halftime before the Bulldogs (1-4) erupted with 18 points to close in on the Phoenix.

But Spruce Mountain’s defense held Madison to four points in the final stanza. Dylan Price and Steven Lawrence each scored 12 points for the Bulldogs.

BATH — The Leavitt Hornets may have graduated a large contingent of players, but organizational depth has filled most of the holes in the team’s offense and defense.

And they still have Kristen Anderson.

The Hornets’ star guard drained a game-high 31 points — including six 3-pointers — as Leavitt rolled to a 65-39 victory over Morse in the teams’ KVAC Class B matchup Thursday.

The win is the fifth in five tries for Leavitt, and the third consecutive game the Hornets have scored at least 60 points.

Meagan Down dropped in 10 points for the Hornets and Chantel Eells added nine as Leavitt raced out to a 13-point halftime lead.

Signe Ostergaard led the charge for Morse with 11 points, including one 3-pointer. Megan Hixon, Emma Harrington and Sadia Crosby added eight points each for the Shipbuilders (2-3), who were coming wins over Medomak Valley and Lincoln Academy. Leavitt next faces Oceanside on Dec. 27. Morse is at MCI, also on Dec. 27.

Pine Tree 49, Rangeley 30

RANGELEY — Zach Wilday threw in 21 points and J.P. Tashamala dropped in 13 as Pine Tree rolled to a 49-30 victory over Rangeley in a boys’ basketball game Thursday.

Pine Tree (3-3) grabbed a 22-8 lead at the half and held the Lakers to single-digit scoring for three quarters.

Michael Haley scored 15 points and hit for 11 free throws for winless Rangeley (0-2)

Dirigo 66, Mt. Abram 37

SALEM — Riley Robinson poured in 14 points as Robbie Babb added 12 as a balanced Dirigo squad picked apart Mt. Abram in a 66-37 MVC boys’ basketball victory Thursday. TJ Frost and Gavin Arsenault added six each for the Cougars (5-0). Ian James of Mt. Abram (0-5) led all players with 15 points, including one 3-pointer.

Morse 39, Leavitt 38

TURNER — Matt Munster scored two of his 10 points with five seconds remaining on the clock to lift Morse to a thrilling 39-38 victory over Leavitt in KVAC boys’ basketball action Thursday.

Kevin McKellar led the victorious Shipbuilders (2-3) with 11 points. Leavitt’s Isaiah Calder (10 points) and Andrew Middleton (nine points) paced the Hornets (2-3).

Men’s basketball

Concordia (Wis.) 60, Bates 58

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Keith Kahlfeldt hit a pair of free throws with five seconds remaining, and Mark Brust’s bid for a game-winning 3-pointer missed the mark, as Concordia University Wisconsin edged the Bates College men’s basketball team 60-58 on Thursday in the Daytona Beach Shootout.

The Bobcats (5-6) split their two games in Florida, having defeated Washington & Lee on Wednesday. The Falcons rose to 5-3.

The Falcons jumped out to an early 18-4 lead, but the Bobcats quickly closed the gap, beginning with a jumper by senior Ed Bogdanovich and followed by a three-point play by sophomore Graham Safford, who was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Senior Mark Brust made a jumper to close the gap to 20-14, and senior John Murphy drained a 3-pointer with 7:03 to play in the period to make it a three-point game at 20-17.

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