PARIS — Teigan Pelletier was the player called on to make a play when the game was close at the end of Oxford Hills’ Class AA North boys basketball quarterfinal against Bangor on Thursday night.
Pelletier hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds remaining to help Oxford Hills to a 43-42 win to advance to face No. 6 Cheverus (9-9) in next week’s AA North semifinals.
With 44 seconds left, second-seeded Oxford Hills (16-3) was trailing 42-37 against No. 7 Bangor (6-13).
Teigan Pelletier game-winning 3-pointer for Oxford Hills! The shot advanced the No. 2 Vikings in AA North and OH will face No. 6 Cheverus next Thursday. What a SHOT. @Sports_SJ #Varsitymaine pic.twitter.com/BOdk8Ilqs8
— Adam Robinson (@FunkFlashyRob) February 18, 2022
Tanner Bickford hit a 3-pointer in the corner to pull the Vikings within 42-40, then with 14 seconds left Bangor turned the ball over, ceding possession back to Oxford Hills.
Oxford Hills coach Scott Graffam tried to run a play as the Vikings brought the ball up the court, but eventually called a timeout after nothing materialized initially.
“We tried to run the play coming up, so we called a timeout with 5.8 (seconds) left and set up a play for either Colby (Dillingham) or Pelletier to shoot a three,” Graffam said by phone after the game. “We got the ball to Teigan at the right 3-point line, took a dribble with 3.2 seconds left (and then took the shot).”
Bangor’s Landon Clark missed a potential game-winning shot on the way back down as time expired.
“I don’t think he had any reservations,” Graffam said of Pelletier coming out of the final timeout. “He took one dribble and pulled up and shot a 22-footer. We defended well, we played really well defensively. We dug in a little bit, and Landon Clark, who averages 22, had 17 and we made the night difficult for them.”
Dillingham led the Vikings with 14 points and Pelletier finished with 13.
Graffam said Tanner Bickford, Lincoln Merrill and Isaiah Oufiero came up big defensively in the win.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
HAMPDEN ACADEMY 40, LEWISTON 20: Bella McLaughlin scored a game-high 12 points to pace the No. 3 Broncos (14-5) past the No. 6 Blue Devils (8-11) in a Class AA North quarterfinal in Hampden.
Camryn Neal added 11 points for Hampden Academy.
Aiwen Maiwen scored seven points and Koral Morin added six for Lewiston, which was playing without three starters, according to head coach Craig Jipson.
UNIFIED BASKETBALL
LEWISTON 50, POLAND 32: Nshuti Iranzi had 10 points to lead the Blue Devils (3-0) to a win over the Knights (0-3) in Lewiston.
Moses Ruambaza chipped in with eight points while Abu Guhat and Joe Hall each had six points for Lewiston.
McKayla Fournier led all scorers with 14 points for Poland. Jacob Paradis chipped in with eight points, Hannah Michaud had six points and Kaylynn Cook had four for the Knights.
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