SANFORD — Like many basketball players, Sanford forward John Morgan says the more he sees the ball go through the hoop, the more his confidence grows.
Morgan saw the ball go in the rim early on Thursday night, and as a result, Massabesic could only watch as he went on to put it through the hoop often.
Playing in his last regular-season home game, the senior scored 25 points ”“ including 14 as part of a first-quarter Sanford blitz ”“ as the Spartans raced to a convincing 71-41 victory over their biggest rival in an SMAA boys basketball game at Veteran’s Memorial Gym.
Sanford finished its regular season at 12-6 ”“ the first 12-win season for the program in over a decade ”“ and will host a home preliminary-round game next week. Massabesic’s season ends at 4-14.
“Sanford basketball hasn’t gotten to 12 wins in a while,” Morgan said. “We’re just excited because we’re doing it as a team, and to beat a rival who we have things back and forth with, it’s just good to get a good win going into the playoffs.”
Despite standing at just over 6-feet tall, Morgan did all of his work inside Thursday, continually posting up down low and using his superior strength to muscle past Mustang defenders for high-percentage attempts.
All 10 of Morgan’s made field goals came from in the paint, including three three-point plays in the first half.
“My teammates put me in good positions to make plays,” Morgan said. “I got it underneath where I’m good against smaller opponents, and shots were falling early. I usually miss my first shot, but once it goes the first time it keeps.”
“They do a good of getting the ball to him at the right time, and he does a nice job of getting the ball and getting beside you,” Massabesic coach Ramone Jones added of Morgan. “He made layups; he’s got a great shot percentage because they were all the same shots.”
Much as they had done when the teams first met in Waterboro on Jan. 13, a 71-47 Sanford win, the Spartans opened up a lead early as Morgan scored nine points to stake his team to a 13-5 lead just four minutes in.
“They started a smaller lineup and we went to Johnny the first three or four possessions,” Sanford coach Paul Nolette said. “And the next thing you now it’s an eight-point lead and you have a little swagger going on.”
Sanford extended its advantage to 23-12 after one, and then dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Mustangs 20-5 to take a 43-17 lead into halftime.
Massabesic missed its first 11 shots in the quarter, only ending the drought when Caleb Campbell hit a jumper 10 seconds before the break.
“We didn’t match their intensity today,” Jones said. “With a young group, it’s just understanding that you’ve got to match their intensity and you can’t ease your way into it. You’ve got to come out ready to play, and we didn’t do that for pretty much the first half.”
The Mustangs’ dry spell continued into the second half, when they missed their first six shots, allowing the Spartans to build its lead up to 52-28 after three on the way to the 30-point victory.
In addition to Morgan’s 25, his fellow seniors Josh Schroder and Jordan Tranchemontagne chipped in with 10 and nine points, respectively. Evyn Nolette, another senior, also added eight points, nine assists and four steals.
Dan Amabile’s 13 points led Massabesic, while Bryson Murray chipped in seven and Noah Gerry paced the Mustangs’ senior contingent with six.
“It’s a rivalry game, and you’ve got to come out ready to play,” said Jones, whose team finished with three more victories than a season ago. “I’m a little disappointed because we have seven seniors and they understand what that’s about. They were unable to do that today, and that’s tough to deal with.”
While Massabesic’s season is over, with the victory, Sanford will move into the Western Class A playoffs as the No. 6 seed, likely setting up a matchup with Windham in a prelim on Tuesday or Wednesday night.
The Eagles got the better of the Spartans 63-59 all the way back on Dec. 18, the second in a run of three losses as part of Sanford’s 1-4 start to the season. But the Spartans have gone 11-2 since, and head into the postseason as a potential sleeper to challenge the supremacy of Portland, Falmouth and Bonny Eagle at the top.
“They beat us earlier in the year, so not only do we have a home playoff game, but we get to play someone who has beaten us,” Nolette said.” I think the boys are feeling pretty confident.”
None more so than Morgan.
“We’re a lot better of a team since they beat us, and I still think they’re a good team and they got us before,” Morgan said. “But I think it will be a little different this time around.”
— Staff Writer Cameron Dunbar can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or cdunbar@journaltribune.com.
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