If any team could use a fresh start in 2017, it’s the Lewiston boys’ basketball team.

The Blue Devils ended 2016 with an 0-6 record. Their home losses to Bangor, Windham and Deering were much more competitive than losses at Oxford Hills, Portland and Cony (at the Augusta Civic Center).

“We played well against Deering, against Windham, against Bangor,” coach Tim Farrar said. “We’ve had our moments this year. We’ve had chances. We’re still learning how to win.”

Before the season, Farrar anticipated his team might struggle with the December schedule because of a lack of varsity experience. Now that the calendar has turned, the hope is that the Blue Devils can turn the corner and use what they’ve learned so far to turn some of those closer losses into wins. 

“This group hasn’t had a lot of success at the varsity level playing basketball yet, so every time they’re in a game, they don’t know how to handle it yet. We’re just trying to get them comfortable playing the game the way they need to play to be successful.”

The schedule doesn’t get any easier to start January, with road games at Brunswick and Edward Little sandwiched around a home tilt against South Portland. 

Spruce-ing up the place

Despite his team’s 6-0 start, Spruce Mountain boys’ coach Scott Bessey doesn’t think his team is clicking on all cylinders yet. But some parts of the machine are up to specifications.

The Phoenix’s up-tempo style and spacious (by high school standards) home court can wear an opponent out. Even when it doesn’t have a physical effect on an opponent, it can be a big psychological advantage for the Phoenix.

Wells’ trapping defense forced the Phoenix to take their foot off the gas pedal for most of Friday night’s 59-51 win. But Bessey felt fatigue did play a part in his team taking control in the second half.

“The size of the court, the style that we play, I thought maybe it got into their legs a little bit in the second half,” Bessey said. “I know they didn’t get many threes in the second half (one) as a team, and maybe they got a little tired. That’s all part of the system, all part of the plan.”

The Phoenix hit the road this week for tough games at KVAC rival Gardiner, whose cozy gym is virtually the antithesis of the Phoenix’s, followed by Gray-New Gloucester, one of their WMC crossover opponents, before returning home for three consecutive conference games. 

Under pressure

When rivals Gray-New Gloucester and Poland met in an early-season Western Maine Conference/Class B South clash, it was the Knights who flashed strong defense to start, using a zone to keep the ball out of the paint. The Patriots took a few minutes to even get off their first shot of the game.

But it was what the Patriots later threw at the Knights for a defense that better told the story of Gray-NG’s 46-28 road win Friday night.

“One thing that helps is we went to our full-court pressure defense,” Gray-NG coach Mike Andreasen said. “We started out in one of our softer defenses, and went a little bit more pressure on them. And I think that gets thing going because then you can get baskets in transition, and then you don’t have to worry about beating a zone because you’re beating them on the run.”

Poland coach Michael Susi agreed that the Patriots’ full-court press made a difference.

“They made an adjustment,” Susi said. “We came out with a little bit more energy, they picked up their intensity and started pressuring us at halfcourt — right as soon as we crossed halfcourt, and being physical — and we didn’t respond well to that.”

In a game that the jump shots weren’t falling for Gray-NG, transition layups took their place instead, helping the Patriots out-score their rivals in every quarter.

Back in the swing

With everyone back from the holiday break, the schedule gets back into full swing this week throughout the tri-county area.

The girls’ schedule is packed with intriguing contests to kick off the New Year. On Tuesday, Brunswick makes its second trip to the Twin Cities in four days when it travels to Lewiston after bowing to Edward Little last Friday. One of the highlights of the Mountain Valley Conference has Mt. Abram at Monmouth on Friday. Rangeley has big Class D South matchups, first at Pine Tree Academy on Wednesday and home against Vinalhaven on Friday and Saturday. Also on Friday, Poland hosts Greely in a contest of two top Western Maine Conference teams.

Marquee matchups are more sparse on the boys’ schedule, but the slate does include a meeting of unbeaten MVC rivals Thursday when Winthrop travels to Hall-Dale.

Staff Writer Wil Kramlich contributed to this story.

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