PORTLAND — The Yarmouth boys basketball team is heading to a state championship game for the first time since 2012.
The second-seeded Clippers (19-3) shook off a tough start before locking down on defense to pull away from No. 4 Medomak Valley and win the Class B South final, 47-35, at the Portland Expo on Saturday.
With Yarmouth leading 31-29 early in the fourth quarter, Stevie Walsh buried consecutive NBA-range 3-pointers from beyond the top of the key, eliciting chants of “Stevie Wonder” from the Yarmouth crowd.
“Anyone who knows Stevie knows he’s just one of the most clutch performers around,” said Yarmouth Coach Jonas Allen. “He had two game-winning goals in (Yarmouth’s) soccer run to the championship. He loves the moment.”
Medomak’s Patrick McKenney scored on a second-chance basket and Trevor Brown (team-high 14 points) made two free throws to trim the lead to four, but Yarmouth’s Quinn O’Meara hit a tough turnaround shot on the baseline while being fouled and made the ensuing free throw for a 40-33 lead with 4:16 to play.
Medomak didn’t score again until there was less than half a minute remaining.
“I just turned and made a shot and hoped it went in and it turned out well,” O’Meara said.
Yarmouth will face Ellsworth (22-0) at 8:45 p.m. Friday in the Class B state championship game at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Ellsworth beat Orono, 62-33, in the North final.
Yarmouth won its last state title in 2012.
Walsh finished with 15 points on five 3-pointers. Peter Psyhogeos, named the Pierre Harnois Outstanding Player of the B South tourney, scored 14 of his 17 points in the second half. Point guard Matt Waeldner had 10 points and held McKenney to eight points on 3-of-16 shooting.
“I knew I was going to be guarding him,” Waeldner said. “He’s a tough player. He can score on all three levels. I just tried to keep him out of the paint and force him to take some tough shots.”
Medomak (17-5) was without starter and senior captain Jake Bickmore, who was on crutches after injuring his left leg in the semifinals. But the Panthers made five of their first seven shots, jumped ahead 12-3 and led 12-5 after the first quarter.
At that point, Yarmouth had committed six turnovers, shot 2 of 7 from the floor and had Psyhogeos on the bench with two fouls.
“To me, this just felt kind of like a microcosm of our season,” Allen said. “Which is, it’s not always pretty. There’s struggle. There’s adversity, but these kids just stay in it and support each other … and just find a way to get it done.”
After giving up two transition baskets to start the second quarter, Yarmouth held Medomak to 19 points the rest of the game.
“We couldn’t get so many run-outs. They started getting back defensively,” said Medomak Coach Nick DePatsy. “I just think their length and their quickness really bothered us and that’s a credit to the way they defend.”
Walsh hit two 3-pointers and Waeldner scored seven points in the second quarter, but Yarmouth still trailed 21-20 at the half. Psyhogeos heated up in the third quarter with eight points, giving the Clippers a 31-28 lead entering the fourth quarter.
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