That isn’t a favorable situation against any Class B South boys’ basketball team, and especially not undefeated Maranacook, which was generous at the finish but held on for a 55-46 victory.
“All of a sudden we decided to show a little bit of passion,” Spruce Mountain coach Scott Bessey said. “Our defense picked up, we started turning them over, and that type of passion was needed from the jump.”
The Phoenix scored a dozen consecutive points, and then an Andrew Darling 3-pointer that could have cut the deficit to four rattled in and out with 1:10 to go.
Jason Brooks grabbed the rebound. Maranacook hit three of its next four from the free-throw line, and an alley-oop bucket by Ty Smith sealed the Black Bears’ escape.
“I wasn’t very happy with our composure in the last three minutes,” Maranacook coach Rob Schmidt said. “We turned the ball over way too many times. I think we had 10 turnovers in the fourth quarter alone, and that’s just not OK.’
Kyle Wilbur led Maranacook (4-0) with 19 points and four steals. Kent Mohlar contributed 15 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.
Spruce Mountain (2-2) forced 25 turnovers but couldn’t capitalize from the field. The Phoenix shot a shaky 19-for-65 (29 percent) after winning consecutive games on the strength of their perimeter prowess.
Austin Darling and Caulin Parker led Spruce Mountain with 12 points apiece, including a combined 15 in the fourth quarter. Andrew Darling added nine points, eight steals and six assists. James Ouellette coupled seven points with a team-high 10 rebounds.
“It almost seemed like we were overwhelmed in the fourth game of the regular season,” Bessey said. “It’s disappointing. There’s no reason to be overwhelmed by this game. We’ve got a ton of basketball to play. Let’s go let it rip.”
Andrew Darling’s 3-pointer and inside baskets by Matt Cornelio and Noah Preble produced a 7-0 surge and a 17-16 Spruce Mountain lead with 5:56 remaining in the first half.
The Phoenix missed their next 10 shots, and for all their own offensive struggles, the Black Bears did enough in the open floor to begin a binge that continued until deep in the third period.
Back-to-back hoops by Jackson McPhedran and Wilbur just before the half sent Maranacook into the locker room with a 22-19 lead.
“We created some turnovers and got some easier looks,” Schmidt said. “That was kind of the key to the game, to get us going a little bit.”
The Black Bears bolted out of the break with 13 unanswered points, nine by Wilbur and Mohlar.
“Mohlar and Wilbur were a big part of our game plan. They got 19 and 15, and if they do that, they’re going to win a lot of games,” Bessey said. “We’ve got to keep them below that. That’s probably what they average.”
Maranacook’s lead crested at 48-29 on baskets by Mohlar, Smith, Wilbur and Levi Emery early in the fourth.
Aggressive play by Parker and the Darlings ratcheted up the Phoenix transition game to full song, but not quite soon enough.
“Pretty ugly is what it was. They’re scrappy. They’re really athletic and aggressive, and they’re not going to give up easy points,” Schmidt said. “They close out real well. They contest layups real well. They do what they have to with the tools they have, and they do very good job of it.”
After making back-to-back appearances in the Class C South championship game, Maranacook moves back up to B, where Spruce Mountain has dropped quarterfinal heartbreakers the past two years.
Both teams will benefit from the new crossover schedule in which KVAC schools play WMC rivals. Maranacook now faces consensus Class B South favorites Yarmouth and Lake Region in consecutive games. Spruce takes off eight days before returning for contests with new regular-season foes Poland, Gray-New Gloucester and Mt. Blue.
“That’s what’s great about this league. There’s no nights off, and that’s awesome,” Bessey said. “That prepares you for February. We could have been going somewhere tonight and winning by 50, and what good would that have done us?”
koakes@sunjournal.com
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