AUGUSTA, Maine — The Oceanside Mariners raced out to a 10-0 lead and held on to stun defending state champion Hampden Academy 66-63 in a Class A North boys basketball semifinal at the Augusta Civic Center on Wednesday night.
It will now be an all-midcoast regional final on Friday afternoon, as fifth-ranked Oceanside of Rockland/Thomaston (15-5) will play No. 3 Medomak Valley of Waldoboro. Medomak Valley defeated No. 2 Brewer 48-31 in Wednesday’s first semifinal.
Previously undefeated Hampden — also the four-time defending regional champion — ends its season at 19-1 after suffering its first tournament loss in Augusta since 2011, a run of 15 consecutive victories.
Sam Atwood paced a balanced Oceanside attack with 16 points. Nick Mazurek added 14 points, Keenan Hendricks scored 13 and Nate Raye and Riley Sprague scored 10 points each as all five Mariners’ starters scored in double figures.
Oceanside finished with 11 3-point goals in the game, one short of Hampden’s 2011 Class A regional single game record.
Ian McIntyre paced Hampden with 22 points and Nick Chasse added 13.
Senior point guard Nick Gilpin scored eight points, but he was limited after suffering an injury during a drive to the basket in the first half. He left the game on two different occasions, though he played through the second half but at less than 100 percent physically.
But Oceanside took control of the game at the outset when Gilpin was healthy, with Atwood and Raye each hitting a 3-pointer to help stake the Mariners to a 10-0 lead — leaving Hampden to play catch-up for the rest of the night.
Oceanside’s lead grew to as much as 17 points midway through the second quarter after Hendricks made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-pointer, but McIntyre scored two follow-up baskets to cap off a 7-0 run that pulled Hampden within 36-26 at the half.
The Broncos then put the pressure on, outscoring Oceanside 10-1 to open the second half to draw within 37-36 on a steal-and-layup by Gilpin midway through the period.
But the Broncos never got the lead.
Hendricks slowed Hampden’s momentum with a 3-pointer, and Oceanside went on to extend its lead to 51-41 by the end of the period.
Hampden got as close as 55-50 on a McIntyre layup after a Gilpin steal with just over four minutes left, but again the Mariners responded from 3-point land, this time with Atwood hitting his fourth of the night to give Oceanside an eight-point lead with four minutes left.
