The Mattanawcook Academy boys team from Lincoln has no problem shooting the basketball. And now they have a new tournament record to show for it.
The Lynx used a historically-good night of 3-point shooting to get past perennial powerhouse Orono 70-57 on Monday night at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Mattanawcook made 13 triples in the game, breaking the previous Class C North record of 12 held by Calais.
Senior Andrew Oliver had seven of those 3-pointers himself to finish with a game-high 27 points on the night.
Asked how it felt to seemingly make everything he was putting up, Oliver smiled.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been making everything, so it feels pretty nice,” Oliver responded.
Fellow senior Avery Jordan added two 3s of his own, Isaac Ritchie had two, and both True Weatherbee and Kooper McCarthy had one.
Oliver didn’t hesitate when asking what the key was for his team’s pinpoint shooting on Monday night from beyond the arc.
“Shooting them all the time in practice,” he said.
The Lynx needed that shooting, especially from Oliver, down the stretch. After jumping out to a 21-5 lead through the first quarter, Mattanawcook saw Orono evaporate their big lead and turn the game into a close one.
With 22 points from point guard Brady Hews, 12 from shooting guard Bergen Soderberg and 11 from post-player Matt Allen, the Red Riots’ big three helped them make the Lynx sweat in the fourth quarter.
But Oliver was there with four of his 3-pointers in the final period to close the door and send his team on to the Class C North semifinals. The Lynx are looking to defend their regional title from a year ago.