A game after breaking the most 3-pointers in Class A tournament history, Brewer’s Brady Saunders drilled a triple to get things started for the Witches on Friday night and never looked back.
Brewer was able to cruise to a 70-33 victory in dominating fashion over Skowhegan in the Class A North regional final.
It’s Brewer’s first regional title since 1988. The Witches are seeking their first state title. They also won a regional crown in 1960.
The No. 1 Witches (20-1) will take on No. 1 Falmouth (17-4) on Friday, March 3, at 7:45 p.m. in the Class A state final.
Saunders couldn’t sleep the night before, he was too busy thinking of the beginning of Friday night’s game.
“I couldn’t get any sleep and I just stayed up so late,” Saunders said. “I was thinking about the first couple of plays over and over in my head. I said, ‘Man, I’ve got to get this team rolling, we have to attack, attack, attack.’ That first three, I made it and we were really hyped up and it set the tone for the rest of the game.”
The 3-pointer by Saunders got the ball rolling for Brewer in what turned out to be an emotional victory for the Witches. Last year, Brewer lost to Nokomis in the regional final.
“I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Brock Flagg said. “Knowing one year ago I was sitting in this exact place, crying because we just lost to Cooper Flagg and him telling me that we would be back next year. It’s awesome. I can’t put into words how good it feels.”
“It’s just an awesome feeling,” Brewer point guard Evan Nadeau said. “To be able to get it done, it’s nice when a lot of hard work pays off.”
Saunders scored 10 points in the first quarter and Flagg poured in seven as the Witches took a 20-6 lead after the first period.
“I love him,” Flagg said of Saunders. “He’s the best teammate I could ask for and when he hit that three, I knew it was on.”
Brewer had all the momentum through the first half, with every big play from a player in white being capitalized with a shout or flex.
Brewer only gave up seven more Skowhegan points in the second quarter, while Brewer big man Cam Hughes muscled his way to six points in the second frame. Hughes’ lift helped the Witches to a 32-13 halftime lead.
“I am definitely the hype guy,” Hughes said. “I make hustle plays and bring the energy up. It feels amazing but we’ve got one more. We will enjoy this tonight and then lock in.”
After a big game from Adam Savage of No. 3 Skowhegan (14-7) in the River Hawks’ 49-48 victory over Brewer on Feb. 3, the senior was held to just two first-half points.
In the third, Savage scored two free throws and in the fourth scored a layup and got the rebound and threw the ball off the head of Brewer’s Cayen Philbrick. Savage was called for a technical and sat for the rest of the game.
Kyle LePage for Skowhegan scored seven points while his twin brother Colin scored eight. The twins added to the motivation that Brewer had heading into Friday’s final.
“I think it was kind of a motivation but at the beginning of the season they were picked ahead of us in the coaches poll so I think that was more motivation for us,” Saunders said. “We also saw an interview with the LePage twins after the quarterfinals or semis and they said that nobody wants to play them and so we went into that game saying, ‘We want to play them and show them what we’re all about.’”
At the end of the third quarter, Saunders drilled a pull-up 3-pointer from the left wing to punctuate a huge third quarter in which the Witches amassed a 50-23 lead.
“The energy this team plays with is outstanding and contagious,” Brewer coach Ben Goodwin said. “It doesn’t matter who scores or does what, they’re a great family and proud to be part of such a great group.”
Both teams emptied the benches with more than four minutes to play in the game.
Saunders ended with a game-high 28 points.
