AUGUSTA — They’re baaaaaack.

Dirigo boys’ basketball returned to the Class C West mountaintop with authority Saturday night, mashing the gas pedal in the second half to blow out Maranacook, 68-51, in the championship game at Augusta Civic Center.

“Over the course of the season they just improved so much. They kept getting better and better,” Dirigo coach Travis Magnusson said. “There were a couple of changes we needed to make. One of them was conditioning, and I worked them as hard as I’ve worked any team.”

Riley Robinson led Dirigo with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists and received the Harry C. Edwards Award as the most valuable player and sportsman of the tournament.

He had ample assistance. Dirigo nearly put all five starters in double figures en route to its 14th consecutive victory. Clay Swett added 11 points and 11 rebounds. Gavin Arsenault chipped in 10 points. Tyler Frost and Kaine Hutchins each added nine.

Kent Mohlar and Cam Brochu topped Maranacook (10-12) with 17 points apiece. Levi Emery had 11 points to go with 10 rebounds.

The Cougars held sophomore Kyle Wilbur, whose 3-point marksmanship helped eliminate MVC representatives St. Dom’s, Boothbay and Winthrop from the tourney, to one 3-pointer. It came in the fourth quarter.

“I love competing and I hate losing, so winning feels good no matter what year,” Frost, who played as a freshman on Dirigo’s 2012 championship team, said. “Playing a lot feels that much greater. It’s a great experience, and we’ve got one more game to win.”

Frost triggered a 12-0 run in the third period with two 3-pointers and by throwing his tank-like frame in front of Maranacook players with selfless abandon on the defensive end.

Maranacook was within three, 37-34, when Frost found freshman Cooper Chiasson for an inside bucket. Robinson then rifled a no-look pass to Swett for an uncontested hoop.

“A lot of people think we’re just Riley, but we have a lot of different guys that can score,” Magnusson said. “We made big shot after big shot. We also got the defensive stops that we needed.”

Frost nailed his two 3-pointers from the left wing in a 50-second span, sandwiched around two Robinson free throws, fattening the lead to 49-34.

Emery scored to bolster the Black Bears before the end of the third period. Dirigo answered with another spurt of six — Arsenault on a putback, Hutchins from Robinson on a fast break, and two more Robinson free throws after a Maranacook technical foul — to put it away.

Maranacook has absorbed back-to-back losses in the final. The Black Bears belted the Cougars in the semis a year ago before falling to Waynflete.

“They’re a really good shooting team, and they toasted us last year,” Robinson said. “We didn’t want to let that happen again. The focus was close out on 3-point shooters, and Brochu and Emery are really animals on the boards. Kaine Hutchins and Clay Swett did a fantastic job rebounding.”

There were four lead changes in the final 2:50 of the first half, which ended with Dirigo nursing a 29-28 edge.

Down seven early, Maranacook fought back to lead 21-20 on Brochu’s second-chance basket after a Hayden Elwell steal.

The Cougars used six consecutive free throws by Swett and Robinson to reclaim the lead late in the half. Jason Brooks’ jumper brought the Black Bears within one.

Dirigo enjoyed another quick start, jumping out 4-0 on baskets by Robinson and Swett.

The Black Bears missed their first six shots and nine of 10, and the Cougars picked up their points in chunks to maintain the lead.

“Our focus was energy and playing defense,” Robinson said. “We were able to get some buckets. That got us off to a quick start, and quick starts are vital.”

Arsenault’s 3-point play made it 7-3. Swett later found Arsenault for a 3-pointer and a 12-5 advantage. And Robinson’s trey beat the buzzer, producing a 15-8 margin.

koakes@sunjournal.com

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