DIXFIELD — The Dirigo and Boothbay boys’ basketball teams have waged numerous battles throughout the years, but Tuesday, the Seahawks had too much in the tank for the Cougars.
Boothbay started out strong and the trio of Kyle Ames, Carter Babcock and Elijah Gudroe each scored 15 points as the Seahawks took full advantage of their height inside en route to a 78-37 triumph over Dirigo at Defoe Gymnasium.
The rematch was opposite the first meeting, in which Dirigo created havoc in a win at Boothbay.
Juniors Cooper Chiasson and Luke Lueders led the Cougars with 11 and 10 points, respectively. The Cougars stayed within striking distance in the opening quarter, but then Boothbay scored 19 of the next 25 points to take a commanding 34-16 lead at halftime.
“We should have an advantage inside with our height,” Boothbay coach IJ Pinkham said of a 3-to-1 rebounding margin. “A big difference was Dirigo’s (numerous) defenses. We didn’t handle the pressure to well at our place. Tonight, I felt we did.”
Boothbay (9-7) and Dirigo (4-12), ranked Nos. 6 and 11 in Class C South, respectively, have been among the top teams in the rankings throughout the decade, but they find themselves in unfamiliar territory entering the final week of the regular season. They will need to win preliminary games in order to earn trips to the Augusta Civic Center.
The Seahawks clearly had an extra gear and put it on full display in the second quarter.
Gudroe, who had scored nine of his team’s 15 points in first quarter, opened with a basket, Ames buried a 3-pointer, Alex Smith scored and Steve Remy stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for a bunny to lead 22-10.
“When this team doesn’t bring a big effort, this is what happens,” Dirigo coach Travis Magnusson said.
Dirigo was held scoreless, until Chiasson made a basket with 5:21 left in the second quarter. Chiasson added a pair of free throws and a basket.
“The kids played hard the rest of the game. The team comes in and work their butts off in practice,” Magnusson said. “So, this is discouraging. But, Boothbay played well and did some good things. I’m certainly not making any excuses.”
Boothbay refused to let up and Gudroe scored twice and Austin Campbell scored to open the third quarter. The Seahawks benefited from their speed and crisp passing.
Dirigo was unable to get going till Alex Gorham made two baskets. Lueders, who had drained back-to- back treys in first quarter, converted a driving basket. Chiasson and Chase Clark each made treys.
“I thought that we really got out on our transition game,” Pinkham said. “We played and that’s the best we’ve shot (27 of 42, 64 percent) all season long. We also made (16 of 20) our free throws.”
The Cougars shot 37 percent and made 6 of 11 free throws and had 17 turnovers. Dirigo’s Cam Kidder put back a rebound for its initial basket, with 5:31 left in the game.
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