HAMPDEN, Maine — For Kory Winch and Bryce Lausier, 5.5 seconds from last winter have ticked on in their minds as a reminder of what might have been.
The abrupt conclusion to the 2018 Class A state championship game on March 1 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland was all that separated the Hampden Academy boys basketball team from its fourth gold ball since 2004.
Greely of Cumberland Center had taken a 47-46 lead on Shane DeWolfe’s free throw with 5.5 seconds left, leaving the Broncos one last possession, but a long-range shot fell short as time expired.
“Seeing [the shot] go wide left was heartbreaking, and just like that, the season was over,” said Winch, whose basket with 35 seconds left had tied the game 46-46. “It was either going to end one way or the other, and for it to go the way it did kind of tore us apart.”
Three starters from that Hampden team, including Bangor Daily News All-Maine center Ian McIntyre, have graduated. That leaves Winch and Lausier to lead a new team that is poised to use lessons learned from that close call to surpass the final hurdle come next March.
“I think it just pushes us to be better, knowing we were that close and just coming up short by one last shot,” Winch said.
Hampden, which has won three gold balls and seven regional championships in Russ Bartlett’s 15 years as head coach at his alma mater, is considered one of the top contenders to return to the state final — in large part because of the veteran presence of Winch and Lausier.
“I think we’ve got the best backcourt around,” Bartlett said. “I say that trying to be humble, but they’re good.”
Winch, a 6-foot senior, is considered one of the region’s more versatile players.
“He’s a Swiss army knife,” Lausier said. “He can take it to the hoop, he can play off a screen. He can shoot the ball, and he’s super unselfish, too, so if he gets a steal I know he’s going to find me up the court.”
Lausier’s point-guard play has expanded as he has grown. He stood 5-10 as a freshman and 6-1 last winter before adding two more inches of height coming into his junior season. His duties now include jumping center.
“The height and the muscle he’s put on over the offseason has definitely helped, it’s given him a new set of weapons,” Winch said. “We already knew coming in that he’s a great shooter, and his driving ability especially this year is at a whole new level.
“When he goes to the hoop now he’s also able to kick it out to the guys on the wing, and that just opens everything up for us.”
Together, they have helped Hampden go a combined 38-7 over the past two-plus seasons, and the Broncos are poised to improve on that .844 winning percentage this winter.
“Kory has a great feel for the game, so you kind of let him play in the flow of what we do,” Bartlett said. “His hesitation move is as good as anybody’s statewide. He sees the floor well, and he’s a real good defensive player, too.
“With Bryce, it’s his steady perimeter shooting, good decision making and ability to get the ball into the paint and score at all three levels, which is something not everyone can do.”
The 4-0 Broncos have allowed 45.6 points per outing coming off Tuesday’s 62-44 victory at Skowhegan, and the dedication to defense is just one example of the motivation gleaned from last winter’s near-championship.
“Literally right after the state game last year we talked about this year and how it was going to be different with Ian gone and how if one of us has a bad game the other one is going to pick up the slack,” Lausier said. “That’s stayed consistent on both offense and defense ever since we started playing summer ball.”
Hampden’s defense is aided by the wingspans of Lausier (6 feet, 6 inches) and Winch’s (6 feet, 5 inches).
“That helps us in getting steals in the passing lane, tipping the ball, getting rebounds,” Lausier said. “Since my arms have grown I’ve started getting a lot of rebounds, and overall I think we’re just a long team and have a good sense of the defense we want to play and where to be on the court.”
Another more subtle quality shared by Winch and Lausier is their coolness under pressure. They credit that in great part to their coach’s stoic sideline manner.
“We know coach has been in a lot of tight-game situations over the years, so we put all our trust in him,” Winch said. “We just really think if we keep doing what we’re doing in practice every day, building the chemistry and fixing the little mistakes we make in games, that we’ll get back to where we want to be because last year we were right there and despite losing three starters we think we can get back there.”
