Camden Hills senior guard Nolan Ames has seen about every defensive tactic there is over a season that saw him average 26 points per game. So when a tough, physical Bangor team tried to muscle him in Wednesday night’s Class A North basketball semifinal at the Augusta Civic Center, he didn’t force things.
“They were aggressive, but we kept our composure and played our game,” said Ames, after scoring 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to carry the top-seeded Windjammers to a 61-52 victory. Camden Hills will carry a 19-1 record into Friday night’s regional title game against No. 3 Brunswick, which defeated second-seeded Edward Little of Auburn 52-44 in the other semifinal.
“He’s a special player,’’ is how Bangor coach Jay Kemble assessed Ames’ effort against the fourth-seeded Rams, who finished a remarkable turnaround season with an 11-9 record after winning only one contest last season. “We knew he was going to get points. We just tried to contain him.”
Ames struggled a bit at first against Bangor’s man-to-man defense, which saw several players take a turn guarding him. He had 6 points in the first quarter. But as the half wore on he heated up, scoring 10 points in the second period including a step-back 3-point jumper from the left wing at the buzzer to give the Windjammers a 27-21 lead at halftime.
When Bangor closed the gap to 27-24 on a 3-pointer by senior forward Liam Vigue early in the third quarter, Ames responded by driving the lane for a twisting layup. He then grabbed a defensive rebound on Bangor’s next possession and fed teammate Hollis Schwalm for a fastbreak bucket. Ames pulled down another defensive rebound and drove the length of the floor for the basket that extended the Windjammers’ lead to 33-24.
Bangor fought back, closing to within 43-42 on a Wyatt Chandler 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in the third quarter. But Ames answered by drawing a foul and draining two free throws for some breathing room.
After Camden Hills ran off a 10-1 burst to open the fourth quarter, sparked by 3-pointers by senior forward Tucker Whitley and Schwalm, Bangor was on the ropes. The Rams got no closer than 10 points the rest of the way,
Sophomore guard Nate Grunkemeyer led the scoring for the Rams with 16 points. Chandler and senior forward Harrison Fitzpatrick added 12 apiece.
Junior guard Kiefer Healey finished with 11 points for the Windjammers, while Whitley added 10 points. Camden Hills outrebounded Bangor 29-18 to help seal the win.