PITTSFIELD, Maine — It’s the time of year when high school basketball players, coaches and fans around the state turn to scoreboard watching — for tournament time is fast approaching.
“I think the challenge as a coach is that everybody’s looking at the Heal points and looking at other teams and looking at the different scenarios,” said Belfast boys basketball coach Marty Messer. “We’re all looking at all the scenarios, but really we need to worry about breaking a press and rebounding.”
Those two fundamentals were among many that came into play at Wright Gymnasium on Monday night as Belfast outlasted host Maine Central Institute 44-43 in overtime.
The win avenged the Lions’ 50-49 homecourt loss to the Huskies on Dec. 29, 2015, meaning the teams are tied 93-93 in total points through their two regular-season meetings.
And with Belfast and MCI beginning the night ranked eighth and ninth, respectively, in Class B North, the possibility exists of a third meeting in the tournament’s preliminary round in two weeks that could last even longer.
“I think it goes back to last year, too, when it went down to a one-point game, and Belfast got us there on a last-second shot,” said MCI coach Josh Tardy. “The teams are familiar with each other, and they answer the call defensively.
“I think Belfast did a great job defensively tonight. We kept trying to drive the ball into the post, but we just came up blank too many times,” he said.
Belfast (7-7) led for most of the evening, its largest advantage at 37-30 after a 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter that included a 3-pointer and a follow-up basket by Zane Bielenburg.
The Lions still led 39-34 before MCI ripped off six straight points, including a post move by Dillon Fitts and a follow-up shot by Juan Garcia Bango, to take their first lead since the first half at 40-39 with 31 seconds left.
Belfast’s Zeke Ventura made one of two free-throws with 25.9 seconds left to send the game into overtime, where the Lions never trailed despite four turnovers during the extra four minutes.
Bielenburg scored inside off a Ventura assist to give Belfast a 42-40 lead 90 seconds into overtime, and the Lions’ defense limited MCI to one shot per possession while maintaining the slimmest of leads.
Ventura added two free throws with 12.4 seconds to play, and both were needed to preserve the victory when MCI’s Josh Buker banked in a long 3-pointer at the buzzer.
“I thought we had looks in that overtime period and got it in decent spots, we just didn’t convert, and that’s what happens in a smash-mouth game,” said Tardy. “Somebody makes a play at the end, and somebody doesn’t.”
Sophomore guard Stan Sturgis paced 7-7 Belfast offensively with 18 points, including four 3-pointers in the game’s first 11 minutes to help stake the Lions to a 21-16 lead. Ventura added nine points, and Garrett Hamlin grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
“In the first half, most of outside shots were dropping, which set us up for the second half because we really wanted to force it underneath and get some post moves and some drives,” said Messer. “It was low-scoring, but it was just enough to have that balance in the second half. They had to respect us from the outside, and that helped us go inside.”
Fitts and Bango each scored 12 points for MCI, which fell to 6-8 after having its three-game winning streak halted. Guard Tre Grier added 10 points for the Huskies.
It’s tough to lose,” said Tardy, “but it’s good news for both teams, I think, that we’re tested in a battle like this. This is the type of game that makes you better at the end of the year, and I know we’re at the end of the year, but this is where you want to be right now, in this type of competitive game.”
