Bangor learned that the hard way about Jarod Norcross Plourde on Wednesday night. Plourde erupted for 21 points in a 5-minute, 33-second span of the third quarter and finished with a career-high 39 in the Red Eddies’ 70-58 Class AA victory.

“I think we settled (for outside shots) in the second quarter,” Plourde, a 6-2 junior, said. “In the third quarter, I hit some shots. Baseline jumpers kept going in.”

And in. And in. And in. Of Plourde’s eight field goals in the third period, seven were 12-to-15-foot jumpers or hook shots.

EL (6-5) restored a tenuous 28-25 halftime lead to double digits in that stretch to seal its fifth consecutive victory and a season sweep of Bangor (2-9).

“He didn’t miss much tonight,” Bangor coach Carl Parker said. “We played five different people on him, so what else can you do?”

Plourde rounded out his game with eight rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots. Samatar Iman, who chalked up 31 points in a December win at the Rams’ Red Barry Gym, added 19 this time.

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Discounting a frosty second quarter in which the Red Eddies shot 2-for-13 from the field, they were 26-for-44.

“Just a great team effort,” EL coach Mike Adams said. “We rebounded the ball well. We had two guys (Tyler Morin and CJ Jipson) with eight assists. We moved the ball, played unselfish. It shows that we’re not just Samatar.”

Justin Smith led Bangor with 17 points. Ethan Dorman delivered 16.

EL exploded to a 23-4 lead behind 12 points from Plourde and seven from Iman. Luke Tuell’s two free throws and Smith’s 18-foot jumper in the final minute gave the Rams a needed boost.

“We have stretches where we don’t score,” Parker said. “We take and make a lot of shots in practice, but we have a lot of kids getting their first varsity experience this year, and it’s a different speed in the game.”

Iman’s drive after a Jipson offensive board made it 27-11 with 5:43 left in the half. Bangor countered with nine unanswered points, including a four-point play and a three-ball by Smith in a 17-second span.

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EL didn’t make a field goal in the final 5:43 and complicated matters by missing 3-of-4 from the line. It inspired a concerted second-half effort to get the ball inside and exploit its mismatches with Plourde.

“He shoots the mid-range shot as good as anybody. And if you look at the second quarter, what was every shot we took? We all wanted to take 3s,” Adams said. “(Plourde is) a nightmare to match up with. He’s kind of like (2015 EL graduate and current Saint Joseph’s College standout) Ian Mileikis. He’s big enough that he can post up, and if you put a big guy on him, that’s what he’ll do.”

Iman started the second half with a 3-point play, then grabbed an offensive rebound that led to the first of Plourde’s many buckets.

Plourde immediately answered a drive by Dorman with a 3-point play, via Jipson, for a 36-27 advantage with 5:45 to go in the period. It was typical of EL’s hustle throughout the game.

“We don’t have great loose ball toughness. I’m guessing there were 12 ’50-50′ balls and that they got about 10 of them,” Parker said. “They scored on three or four of them. You think about it, if you get a couple more of those, the game’s right there. Right there is getting a little old.”

Plourde had separate bursts of 11 and 10 consecutive points for his team in the third quarter.

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Led by Dorman, Smith and Peter Kemble, Bangor was able to swap baskets through the first Plourde push. Later, six points came in a 72-second stretch without a reply to give EL a 52-39 edge.

“We locked down on defense. We stayed more compact. And then we got the ball back inside,” Plourde said.

Bangor’s closest approach in the fourth was eight points, 64-56, thanks to a Logan Alley trey, followed by two Phillip Slick free throws with 1:56 to go.

Iman and Morin went 6-for-6 from the line to close it out for EL, which is undefeated in 2016 after a 1-5 start that includes losses to heavyweights Oxford Hills, Portland, Deering and Cheverus.

“That’s a very good team,” Adams said of Bangor. “Look at their schedule, and then for ‘A’ teams they get to play Brewer and Hampden.”

koakes@sunjournal.com


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