A few big shots can change a basketball game, and that was certainly the case during several tournament matchups in Bangor on Friday night.
Clutch 3-point shooting abounded in boys and girls North regional action, helping teams such as the John Bapst girls and Old Town boys close out upset wins. Timely makes from behind the arc also helped favorites such as defending Class B champions Orono stay on track and move on to the next round.
Here are four players who helped propel their teams to victory with pinpoint shooting from distance Friday night.
Claire Gaetani, John Bapst
Gaetani told the Bangor Daily News that she had a good feeling before the game that she would play well. And did she ever. The senior guard scored more than 30 points for the second straight playoff game, launching the Crusaders to a big upset over returning regional champs Old Town.
Gaetani provided a pair of 3-pointers during a pivotal 12-6 run to close out the third quarter, which led to the Crusaders closing out the game. She added a traditional 3-point play during that stretch as well, and fed teammate Anna Smith for another three.
“I was a little nervous. I have never played in the tournament. But it didn’t matter,” Gaetani said.
Ethan Closson, Old Town
Old Town senior forward Emmitt Byther gets a lot of deserved attention from defenses and fans alike, but it was Coyotes sophomore guard Ethan Closson who notched the two most important field goals of the upset win over Ellsworth Friday night at the Cross Insurance Center. Closson’s two 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter helped the Coyotes stifle the Eagles’ efforts to claw back into the game.
“It felt pretty good. The bench was fired up, I got fired up with them,” Closson said after the win. “Hitting them right in front of your bench is the best part, because you get to celebrate with your guys.”
Ayzlynn Gifford, Bangor
The Rams senior guard and co-captain knocked down two early 3-pointers against Windham, and added one more in Bangor’s thrilling one-point win at the Red Barry Gymnasium.
“I was super excited. Three [3-pointers] in a game, I think that was one of my maxes this year, so I felt really good about that,” Gifford told the BDN.
“I was open because they were in a zone, so they want you to shoot threes,” she explained. “And I took them, and thankfully they went in.”
Gifford was feeling great after the win on Bangor’s home court.
“I’m a senior so I’m really not ready to be done yet,” Gifford said. “I love our team and I think we can go really far, so I’m excited for that.”
Senior co-caption Emily Adams hit the winning free-throw with less than 3 seconds to play Friday night.
Bergen Soderberg, Orono
The Orono Red Riots beat the Hermon Hawks 60-43 Friday night, but it was a much closer game than the final score.
Three straight buckets by Hermon cut the Orono lead to six points with less than five minutes to play. That’s when Soderberg stepped up to put the game beyond reach. The junior guard calmly knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers, bumping the returning Class B champ’s lead back up to 12 and setting them up for a comfortable end to the game.
“It’s always nice when your shooter shoots, and they go in,” Orono coach Ed Kohtala said later Friday night at the Cross Center. “Bergen’s made big shots here. That isn’t the first time. He’s a good shooter, and our guys trust him.”
BDN reporter Larry Mahoney contributed to this report.