No. 2 Machias led almost the entire game and won its Class D North boys basketball semifinal convincingly over No. 3 Schenck 61-42 on Wednesday evening at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
Machias (16-4) will play the winner of No. 4 Bangor Christian and No. 1 Southern Aroostook on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. in the Class D North final.
Kason Ferguson scored all of Machias’ 15 points in the first quarter on three 3-pointers, four free throws and a layup. Ferguson added another 3-pointer in the second quarter, finishing the first half with 18 points.
“[Ferguson] picked us up because we knew coming in from playing them twice that they’d have to play some junk defense,” Machias head coach James Getchell said. “We worked on offense a lot and his shot went in today. He’s been our best shooter the last half of the year, he’s been our little secret but now he isn’t a secret anymore.”
The record for 3-pointers made in a Class D playoff game by a single player is eight.
Ferguson ended the game with 23 points.
Machias took a 15-13 lead into the second quarter where the Bulldogs stretched out their lead to 28-17 at the half.
Machias’ 1,000-point scorer Shane Feeney got going offensively after being held scoreless in the first quarter, scoring nine points in the second frame.
Feeney ended with 21 points and seven rebounds.
“He’s really sick today,” Getchell said of Feeney. “By far didn’t have his best game and missed a lot of shots but he showed up and he played really hard.”
Schenck got eight points in the first half from Ryan Ingalls. Ingalls paced the Wolverines with 14 points.
“Biggest thing for us is we played a little better defense and we knew coming in we would not let up anything easy,” Getchell said. “We had to contain them and pack it in and keep them from going to the basket.”
In the third, Schenck’s Nicholas Powers and Samuel Jacobs hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull within 36-25, but Feeney and Machias held off any charges from the Wolverines all game.
Ferguson poured in seven more points in the fourth to seal the victory.
Machias hopes the team is healthy heading into its rematch with Southern Aroostook in the D North final on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a real challenge,” Getchell said. “Southern Aroostook is a great team, hopefully our guys aren’t as sick today and I think it will be a great game.”