Scarborough 47
South Portland 41
By the end of the first quarter of Saturday’s South Portland-Scarborough boys basketball game, it seemed like the first team to score in double figures would be the winner. But while points were hard to come by in the first half, the second half turned into a gem, where both teams exchanged leads until Scarborough held on to win 47-41.
After the first eight minutes of play, the visiting Red Storm trailed the Red Riots by 8-5, a score more suitable for a baseball game than a basketball game.
Baskets were few and far between in the first quarter, as both the Riots and the Storm were ice-cold from the floor and from the free-throw line, with the Storm not getting their first points until halfway through the quarter when the Storm’s Gilbert Alofs (who finished with five points) hit to tie the score at two.
The action picked up towards the end of the quarter as Scarborough’s Chris Hughes (who had a team-high 17 points on the afternoon) drained a three to put Scarborough on top 5-4.
But, that lead was short-lived, as South Portland’s Keegan Hyland got two of his 17 points with a corner jumper to put the Riots back on top 6-5. Hyland closed out the first quarter by hitting a long jumper for two points to give South Portland an 8-5 advantage after one.
The scoring drought continued into the second quarter. The Riots went up 10-5 when Hyland hit a runner just over a minute into the quarter. Scarborough’s Andy Pogar (seven points on the afternoon) got one back when he connected on a free throw a few seconds later to make the score 10-6.
That was it for scoring for the next three minutes of game action. Both teams had trouble hitting their shots and both lost the ball on consecutive traveling calls.
With about 3:20 left to go before halftime, the Riots’ Matt Lee (five points) found himself with an open three from the corner. He connected on the shot, and the Riots had their biggest lead of the game at 13-6.
At that point, the Red Storm began to battle back. With about two minutes to go in the first half, Scarborough’s Joe Kennedy found Hughes open underneath the basket. Hughes hit the open layup to cut the lead to 13-8. About a minute later, Hughes hit two free throws to cut the lead to 13-10.
Then, with 20 seconds left Scarborough’s Logan Oliver (six points) brought the Red Storm bench to its feet as he got open and dropped in a three to tie the score at 13 to end the half.
The end of the first half seemed to energize both teams, as the action got fast and furious and shots began to drop on both sides as the second half began.
The two teams exchanged the lead throughout the second half with neither team managing to get more than a four-point lead until Hughes gave the Red Storm a 32-27 lead with 1:08 left in the third.
But, as was the case all game, the lead wasn’t secure. After getting the ball back on a turnover with 47 seconds left in the quarter, the Riots’ Will Furbush (11 points) buried a three from the corner to cut the Storm’s lead back to 32-20, which is how the third quarter ended.
South Portland tied the game at 32 early in the fourth, but the Storm took the lead right back as Jim Hiltner (six points) hit a turnaround to put the Storm up on top 34-32 with 7:30 left to play. Scarborough then caught a break as the Riots threw away the inbounds pass, and on the ensuing possession, Hughes hit a short jumper to give the Storm a 36-32 lead.
The Riots cut the lead to 36-35 on a Furbush three about a minute later, but the next trip down the floor, Oliver drained a three to extend the Storm’s lead to 39-35.
The game stayed tight in the final minutes, with South Portland staying within four or less until Hughes hit a three to open up the Scarborough lead to 44-39 with 1:17 left.
That was about as close as the Riots got the rest of the game, as the Storm held on for the win.
Scarborough’s next game is scheduled for Jan. 10 when they travel to Noble for a 7 p.m. game, the Red Storm return home on Jan. 12 to take on Bonny Eagle at 7 p.m.
The Red Riots return to action on Jan. 10 when they host Windham for a 7 p.m. game. South Portland will then host Thornton Academy on Jan. 12 at 1 p.m.
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