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PORTLAND — Portland High spotted Cheverus eight points. Then the Bulldogs took over.

Led by its relentless defense, the all-around efforts of Cordell Jones and the reemergence of Lucas LeGage as a scorer, Portland completed its run from the sixth seed and won the Class A South boys basketball title Saturday with a 48-30 victory against No. 5 Cheverus at Cross Insurance Arena.

Portland (16-6) will face North champion Camden Hills (20-1) in the state championship game at 7:45 p.m. next Saturday at Cross Insurance Arena. Portland’s last state final appearance was 2023, when it lost to South Portland in Class AA. The Bulldogs’ last championship came in 2017 against South Portland.

“We knew since the summer time we were a great team. We had great chemistry and it’s all just come together at this point. But we’ve got one more. The job’s not finished,” LeGage said.

Camden Hills will face a team that held its three regional opponents to an average of 38 points.

Cheverus (13-8) started the season 1-5, melding in several new players while also dealing with significant injuries. The Stags were in their first regional final since 2011.

“When you look back at it, it’s a very successful season,” said Cheverus coach Richie Ashley.

Two Jameson Fitzpatrick 3-pointers and a breakout basket by Jayden Donato off a long rebound put Cheverus up 8-0 to start the game. The Stags’ zone defense was causing Portland some uncertainty, forcing the Bulldogs to call an early timeout.

“We knew they were going to come out in a zone and they put a lot of good pressure on us,” Jones said. “But we weren’t really getting to the rim, and that’s like our specialty. Coach called a great timeout and we got back into our flow and we talked to each other, picked each other up, and kind of just took off from there.”

Jones got Portland started on a 14-2 run with a pair of drives into the middle that resulted in high-floating finishes. LeGage, Portland’s leading scorer in the regular season, scored eight straight in the run with two 3-pointers. LeGage had scored three points in playoff wins against No. 3 South Portland and No. 2 Sanford.

“We were well scouted and I knew I was going to be used as a decoy those first few games. But this is a bigger game, higher stakes, so I knew I was going to have to step up,” LeGage said.

LeGage led all scorers with 17 points, making three 3-pointers. Jones scored 10 points to go with eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and several trips to the floor to grab a loose ball. He was named the regional tournament’s most outstanding player.

As the game progressed, Portland’s other top players got involved. Loic Ramazani scored seven points and had three steals and two blocks. Maddox Meas, scoreless in the first half, finished with eight points, highlighted by a pair of three-point plays on tough drives.

Portland’s defense shut down all of the top offensive threats for Cheverus. Standout freshman Khaelon Watkins was held to five points. Colton Jewett had six points and Fitzpatrick wound up with a team-high nine points. Jayden Donato scored eight. Overall, Cheverus shot 28% (11 of 39).

“They played hard, they played tough, they took us out of our rhythm. Their guards really forced us out into tough spots,” Ashley said of Portland’s defense.

The game was tied early in the third quarter, 22-22. It was around then that Portland coach Joe Russo’s decision to use a smaller lineup, without 6-foot-7 center Benilson Lumani, began to pay dividends.

“We’re going to spread the floor, going to start getting after it. Speed the game up, and just start asserting ourselves, getting to the rim,” Russo said.

Ramazani, Portland’s pace setter on defense, charged up the offense with a bucket off a Meas assist and then a 3-pointer. Meas pulled of a great fake on the perimeter that created a baseline drive and finger roll for a 29-22 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Portland boosted its lead to double digits behind two three-point plays by Meas that bracketed LeGage’s final 3-pointer for a 39-26 lead with 4:15 to play. Over the final 11:25 of the game, Portland outscored Cheverus 26-8.

“We rely on defense,” Russo said.