PORTLAND — Gray-New Gloucester used size, quickness and a stout defense to claim its second state title in three years.

The Patriots defeated Mount Desert Island 43-30 in the Class B girls basketball championship at Cross Insurance Arena on Saturday.

Gray-NG also had the been-there-done-that veteran leadership of Bri Jordan, who led the Patriots with 15 points, seven of which came in the final quarter, and nine rebounds.

The win wasn’t easy for the Patriots, and from the opening tip, coach Mike Andreasen knew that it was going be a struggle on offense.

“I guess we didn’t work hard enough on hitting open layups or something,” Andreasen jokingly said. “It’s funny, we have a tip play where Bri wins the tip and Jordie (Jordan Grant) runs to the basket and I said, ‘Jordie, will you make the shot?’ Today she fumbled the ball and they had a tough time.”

While Grant did fumble the ball off the tip and missed the ensuing layup, Grant and Jordan had a strong first half, combining for 15 points.

The two have won a lot together, including the 2017 state championship when Jordan was a sophomore and Grant was a freshman. They wanted their time as teammates to end with another win and another gold ball.

“I mean, everyone really wanted this game, but it got in our heads that this will be the last time we will be playing together, and this is the last time for us seniors so we have to leave it out here and leave everything we have out on the floor,” Jordan said. “I think that’s what helped us to be able to score.”

The second quarter was an offensive struggle for the Patriots, who managed only seven points.

“It was almost offense by mistake,” Andreasen said. “It wasn’t the set plays, it was more if you found the advantage or open person, that’s what was going to do it.”

MDI took advantage, scoring 10 points in the period behind the play of captains Hannah Chamberlain and Julia Watras.

Watras finished with a team-high nine points.

“I thought the defense was the key to the game because it looked like neither offense was doing a lot,” Andreasen said. “It was who was going to keep the other team from what they wanted to do. We wanted to stop Hannah Chamberlain, obviously, from hitting 3s. We didn’t want Watras to beat us, but they’re tough. They’re one the best teams we played this year.”

Gray-NG went 3:05 without scoring. which allowed the Trojans to claw their way back within four points. However, Grant finished the second quarter with a free throw and the Patriots still felt that they were in control.

Defense, or inefficient offense, was again plentiful in the third quarter. Each team committed a myriad of turnovers, which MDI coach Brent Barker said was the difference in the game.

“They capitalized on our turnovers,” Barker said. “That’s a good basketball team and there’s a reason they’ve won two out of the last three years.”

Gray-New Gloucester suffered through a 2:42 scoreless streak and scraped together seven points in the third, including four by Eliza Hotham. The Trojans were only able to muster four points in the quarter and the Patriots led 30-22 heading into the fourth.

MDI started the final quarter on a 6-0 run that was led by Alexis Clarito, who took a charge and then hit a layup to make it a four-point game.

About two minutes later, though, Clarito fouled out and the Patriots took advantage.

“When my point guard fouled out they were able to capitalize on getting us out of what we wanted to do offensively,” Barker said. “They play good defense and they took us out of some things we wanted to do when she left.”

The momentum shifted once Clarito was out of the game, and the Patriots were able to dictate the speed of the game.

“I think she was able to control their tempo,” Jordan said. “I think that she was so quick, taking her out of the game slowed their game down and allowed us to control the tempo.”

Following Clarito’s fifth foul, Jordan hit two of her five fourth-quarter free throws to put Gray-NG up eight. The Patriots finished the game on a 9-0 run, hitting 7-of-9 free throws in the quarter.

“Because I’ve been in these games before, I got comfortable,” Jordan said. “I wasn’t nervous today, a lot of girls were.”

The Patriots made 12-of-17 free throws in the game. They were money from the line throughout the playoffs, like when they went 14-17 against Wells in the semifinal.

“We practice them a lot and we have to just keep getting in a rhythm and keep it going,” Grant said. “Once we make some, then make some more.”

Grant was the first player off the bench for the 2017 championship team. She said her increased level of involvement in Saturday’s game made it more special than the first title.

“I feel like freshman year it was still an awesome feeling,” Grant said. “But being more of a part of it this year and being a captain on the team and helping carry the team on my back and helping lead to the end, it felt really good being a bigger part of it.”

Jordan played a big part in one of the most successful stretches in school history. She started 85 of the 86 games she played in at Gray-NG and played in three state title games.

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