Another regional basketball tournament has wrapped up in Bangor. And as it does every year, the tourney provided a long list of inspiring team efforts and unbelievable individual plays.
The eight state championship games on tap for this weekend are sure to bring even more thrilling action for Maine basketball fans. But let’s not forget all the amazing performances that got us to this point.
Here’s a top-10 list from the Bangor Daily News reflecting on the most inspiring moments of the North regional tournament.
10. Cony dunk party
The Cony Ram boys brought their high-flying offense to the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, and quickly treated fans to a flurry of impressive plays at the rim in a quarterfinal win over Presque Isle. Senior forward Parker Morin and Ben Hanke each threw down dunks in that game, as did freshman phenom Carter Brathwaite.
“We just play our basketball. We get out in transition, these guys, they fly around,” Cony coach Isaiah Brathwaite said about his team’s ability playing above the rim.
9. 40-point brilliance
Eclipsing the 40-point threshold in a game is an uncommon feat in Maine high school basketball. And the North regional tournament saw three different players pile over more than 40 in a single contest. Wisdom’s Ava Lerman was the first to do it with a 41-point game in the Class S quarterfinals, and Easton’s Mason Pelletier followed that up the same evening with 42 points of his own. Bangor Christian’s Mary Allen also netted 42 points in her team’s quarterfinal win over Schenck of East Millinocket.
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8. Aden Jeffers unlikely 4-point play
This isn’t the last you’ll hear from Jeffers on this list. The Fort Kent junior was the tournament’s most unstoppable force, as he showed by completing an unconventional four-point play at a critical moment against Mattanawcook Academy in the Class C North semifinals.
Jeffers somehow finished an and-1 basket in transition despite getting bear-hugged by a defender. And he was awarded a second free-throw when that foul was deemed intentional, giving his team a critical four-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The game had been tied before Jeffers’ remarkable play, and that bucket was key in cementing Fort Kent’s comeback win.
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7. Penobscot Valley girls upset Bangor Christian
The Howlers notched the biggest upset of the North regional tournament by taking down Class D girls top seed Bangor Christian in the semifinals. The Patriots had already beaten the Howlers three times this season, but the Howlers played their best game in the biggest moment.
“This was the best game we’ve played all year,” said Howlers junior guard Brooklynn Raymond, who had 10 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and two assists in the game.
It certainly didn’t help Bangor Christian that they lost their second leading scorer to an injury early in the game, but it was returning Class C champion Penobscot Valley’s big-game experience and execution that mattered most in the upset.
6. Lawrence seniors take over together
The strong connection between Lawrence seniors Maddie Provost and Ashley Shores was on display in the Class B North girls final, with the two Bulldog players accounting for a staggering 56 of their team’s 65 points.
That gutsy performance from the senior leaders sent Lawrence past rival and top-seeded Gardiner to the state championship game.
Shores, a forward, scored a pivotal 10-straight points in that first half, all assisted by Provost.
“She had an awesome night,” Provost said about Shores. “We believe in each other, and we know we’ve got each other’s backs.”
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5. Caribou girls complete comeback with overtime win
The tournament featured another miraculous comeback for the Caribou girls, who eked out a 43-40 overtime win over Dexter in the Class C quarterfinals.
Sophomore Quinn Corrigan was once again the hero for the Vikings after her steal and foul shots helped Caribou win last year’s Class B title. Corrigan scored 17 of her game-high 22 points in the second half of that comeback win.
4. Gardiner boys couldn’t miss in regional final
The Cony-Gardiner matchup in the Class B North boys final was a high-paced offensive showdown, and the Gardiner Tigers pulled it out with some pinpoint shooting.
Gardiner shot a blistering 10-17 from downtown to outlast the Rams 80-71.
“Cony’s a very talented team. We knew they were going to make runs. We were able to get stops when we needed, and make a few more runs,” said Gardiner coach Aaron Toman.“We made some big shots as well. That helps.”
3. Allie Bivins takes ‘unbelievable’ charge
With the game on the line, Ellsworth’s Allie Bivins made the best defensive play of the tournament, and helped her team secure one of the biggest upsets.
No. 7 seed Ellsworth was up by one point with less than 10 seconds to play against No. 2 Old Town, but Old Town had the ball and a chance to take the lead. That’s when Bivins sealed the win for her team by taking a gutsy charge.
“She’s that type of player,” Ellsworth coach Andy Pooler said after the Class B North quarterfinal win, noting that Bivins is willing to put her body on the line for her team.
“That was unbelievable,” he said about the pivotal charge she took.
2. Mattanawcook’s powerful act of sportsmanship
Caribou senior Liv Adams wasn’t able to play this season due to a knee-injury, but she still got to score two points in the tournament thanks to a unique offer from opposing team Mattanawcook Academy.
With the Lynx on their way to a Class C semifinal win, coach Pat House wanted to give Adams a chance at one last tourney bucket. So the Caribou and Mattanawcook coaches agreed to have her enter in the final moments of the game for an uncontested layup.
“I was heartbroken this fall when I heard she was out for the year,” House explained. “I said before the game to my assistant coach that if we were in a spot where we could do that, I wanted to make that offer to them.”
That gesture of sportsmanship represented the very best of the Maine high school basketball tournament.
1. Aden Jeffers sinks buzzer-beater for Class C title
Aden Jeffers take a bow. The Fort Kent junior guard gave his Warriors team a legendary Class C North boys title by knocking down a last-second shot to beat Caribou 48-47 on Saturday night.
It was a fittingly thrilling finish to the regional tournament, and will surely go down as one of the most exciting plays in Fort Kent basketball history.
“It was a great game. I love my guys, I love my coach. We did this together,” Jeffers said after the regional championship win. “All the long hours in the gym. All the morning practices. All the adversity we had to go through, we just came here and showed up.”