The Raiders also haven’t been able to transform their gridiron greatness into hardwood prosperity, but Friday night’s 52-27 rout of St. Dom’s at Lewiston High School was a sign that they may have turned the corner.

Oak Hill held St. Dom’s to one field goal in the first half and 11 points through three quarters while getting everybody involved at both ends of the court.

“Don’t count us out. Once they get their legs under them, they’re going to be a pretty good team. I’ve got a good mix and match,” Oak Hill coach Tom Smith said. “I’ve got six seniors. They’re really set the tone for the preseason and they set the example tonight, and as long as they continue that, we’ll be fine.”

Eleven different Raiders scored, topped by Marcus Bailey with nine points. Football stars Dalton Therrien and Jonah Martin each added eight, with Therrien dishing out five assists to go with five rebound.

“Dalton knows how to run the show,” Smith said. “Sometimes he’s too unselfish. He takes a lot of pride in winning. He’s really vocal this year.”

Sam Rines scored seven points to lead St. Dom’s, which has five new starters and a new coach, Jake Webb, after a streak of Class C tournament appearances. Drew Greco added six points, while Camden Jalbert tore down a team-high eight rebounds.

Oak Hill exploded to a 13-0 lead out of the gate, a run that could have been even more impressive without a fistful of missed layups.

The Raiders shot only 34 percent from the field. They have tackled almost as many preseason games as practices, facing Messalonskee, Skowhegan, Richmond and Wiscasset since their first gathering 11 days before the season-opener.

“At Wiscasset we took 75 shots. They’re starting to pick it up that if we get the ball up court, we don’t have to run an offense,” Smith said. “They really just want to get out and play basketball. This group, they’re really athletic, so I’ve let them do what they want to so far.”

That high-octane approach yielded cooler results in the second quarter. Therrien’s 3-pointer was the highlight. Oak Hill took a comfortable 26-6 lead into the locker room.

Oak Hill harassed St. Dom’s into 21 of its 26 turnovers in the first half, wreaking havoc with full-court pressure.

The Baileys, Marcus and Darryn (five points, eight rebounds) joined in the early onslaught. Evan Boston, Duncan Trotter and Kyle Beauparlant led the barrage off the bench.

“I started a lineup that I haven’t tried this year, and it worked really well,” Smith said. “I’ve got the size and I’ve got guys who can shoot outside. If they want to post down on my bigs, we can kick it out and I’ve got guys who can make the shot.”

The fourth quarter was St. Dom’s best. Rines and Jalbert each hit a 3-pointer, staking the Saints to a 16-12 advantage.

koakes@sunjournal.com

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