AUGUSTA — Hall-Dale owned the first half of Monday night’s Class C South quarterfinal with North Yarmouth Academy, so much so that the Bulldogs threatened to break the tournament record for 3-pointers in a game in half the time it took Maranacook to set it in 2014.
When it was over, though, the fifth-seeded Bulldogs didn’t have the record. They didn’t have the win, either. No. 4 NYA came storming back from an 18-point deficit in the first half to defeat the Bulldogs, 59-55 at the Augusta Civic Center.
The Panthers (14-5) advanced to their first regional semifinal since 2006, where they will meet the winner of Monday night’s later quarterfinal between No. 1 Winthrop and No. 9 Wiscasset. The Bulldogs end their season at 14-6.
Hall-Dale finished with 11 3 pointers as a team, one shy of tying the record. It made just two in the second half, opening the door for the Panthers.
Jake Malcom led the Panthers with 23 points and eight rebounds. Te-Andre King finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds despite foul trouble in the first half.
Jett Boyer led Hall-Dale with 20 points on six 3-pointers, while Ashtyn Abbott added 16 points.
NYA trailed by 12 at halftime and five after three quarters. Malcom’s fifth 3-pointer put the Panthers up 56-55 with 27 seconds left. Boyer tried to answer from the left corner but his shot bounced out with 10.6 seconds to go.
Hall-Dale needed to foul three times before putting NYA into the bonus, which took valuable time off the clock. The Bulldogs finally sent Haven Cutko to the line with 2.9 seconds to go. Cutko made the first and missed the second, but King rebounded the miss and put it back in as the final buzzer sounded.
Hall-Dale came out firing from the start, opening up a 17-7 lead. Five different Bulldogs scored, with three making at least one 3-pointer, as they ended the quarter leading 20-11.
Boyer was only getting started. After making one 3 in the first quarter, he drilled five more in the second to help inflate the margin to 18. Malcom hit a pair from long range to help the Panthers inch closer, 38-26, by halftime.
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