Top-seeded Falmouth closed the first quarter on a 16-2 run and steadily pulled away to beat fifth-seeded Fryeburg Academy, 70-34, in a Class A South boys’ basketball semifinal Wednesday night at the Portland Expo.
The Navigators (18-2) will meet No. 3 Marshwood in the regional final on Friday or Saturday.
Judd Armstrong and Jack Stowell each scored nine points in the first quarter, which ended with Falmouth up 23-7.
With Zach Morrill and Chris Simonds neutralizing Fryeburg big man Will Hallam, the Navigators added to their lead in the second quarter and took a 39-20 advantage to the break.
Falmouth then used a 14-4 run at the end of the third quarter to make it 57-27.
Armstrong finished with 18 points, Stowell added 17, Morrill had 12 and Brady Coyne 11.
Fryeburg (11-10) was paced by Hallam with nine points.
BREWER 58, SKOWHEGAN 30: Brady Saunders paced the second-seeded Witches (18-2) with 19 points in a Class A North semifinal win over the No. 3 River Hawks (16-4) in Augusta.
Colby Smith added 11 points and Brock Flagg had 10 for Brewer.
Kyle LePage led Skowhegan with 10 points.
NOKOMIS 51, CONY 35: Cooper Flagg recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, and the top-ranked Warriors (19-1) pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the fourth-seeded Rams (13-7) in a Class A North semifinal in Augusta.
Nokomis trailed throughout the first half and led only 34-32 after three quarters.
Ace Flagg chipped in with 10 points.
Parker Sergent led Cony with 12.
FOREST HILLS 61, GREENVILLE 41: The top-seeded Tigers (20-0) took control early with a 15-0 run, then added two more bursts of at least 15 straight points as they breezed past the fifth-seeded Lakers (5-13) in a Class D South semifinal at the Augusta Civic Center.
Mason Desjardins scored 23 points for Forest Hills, which led 36-5 at halftime and 56-18 after three quarters. The Tigers will play No. 2 Valley in the regional final on Saturday.
Greenville’s Dominic Murray got 18 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.
ELLSWORTH 55, OLD TOWN 47: Chance Mercier scored 21 points, Hunter Curtis added 16, and the top-seeded Eagles (21-0) survived an upset bid by the No. 4 Coyotes (14-7) in a Class B North semifinal in Bangor.
Grayson Thibeault led Old Town with 12 points.
ORONO 56, JOHN BAPST 36: Pierce Walston scored 24 points and the second-seeded Red Riots (18-3) erased a seven-point halftime deficit against the 11th-seeded Crusaders (10-11) in a Class B North semifinal in Bangor.
Ben Francis added 16 points as he and Walston fueled a 12-2 run to start the second half.
Edoardo Fiore led John Bapst with 14 points, while Corey Butler scored 11.
CENTRAL 63, WOODLAND 45: Bryce Burns and Simon Allen combined for 47 points, including all 28 of their team’s points in the first half, and the 11th-seeded Red Devils (12-8) knocked off the third-seeded Dragons (15-4) in a Class C North quarterfinal at Bangor’s Cross Insurance Center.
With Burns and Allen accounting for all of Central’s offense, the Red Devils opened a 28-18 halftime lead. Burns finished with 24 points and Allen had 23.
Wyatt MacArthur paced Woodland with 20 points. Shain McIver and Ethan Monk each scored 11.
GEORGE STEVENS 44, PENOBSCOT VALLEY 18: The second-seeded Eagles (16-2) held the 10th-seeded Howlers (9-9) to three points in the second half as they advanced to the Class C North semifinals in Bangor.
George Stevens led just 18-15 at halftime, but Patrick Dagan made four 3-pointers in the third quarter as GSA broke it open with a 16-2 surge.
Dagan finished with 20 points, including six 3-pointers.
Ryan Thompson led Penobscot Valley with seven points.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Lawrence players hug each other after they defeated Gardiner in a Class A North girls’ basketball semifinal Wednesday at the Augusta Civic Center. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
LAWRENCE 56, GARDINER 45: The third-seeded Bulldogs (17-3) got 22 points from Hope Bouchard and 19 from Emily Hagerty in a Class A North semifinal victory over the second-seeded Tigers (17-3) in Augusta.
Gardiner was led by junior standout Lizzy Gruber, who had 19 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocked shots.
SKOWHEGAN 47, ERSKINE ACADEMY 35: Jaycie Christopher scored 19 points – 17 in the first half – and the top-ranked River Hawks (20-0) advanced to the Class A North final with a victory over the fourth-seeded Eagles (10-9) at the Augusta Civic Center.
Callaway LePage made 11 of 15 free throws and finished with 17 points for Skowhegan, which will play No. 3 Lawrence for the regional title.
HERMON 42, MT. DESERT ISLAND 32: Charlotte Caron scored 13 points, Elizabeth Wyman added 11, and the second-seeded Hawks (18-2) fought off the third-seeded Trojans (16-5) in a Class B North semifinal in Bangor.
Hermon trailed 6-3 after one quarter, but Caron and Faith Coombs each hit a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Hawks moved ahead, 17-11. Wyman then scored nine points in the third as Hermon stretched its margin to 31-16.
Elizabeth Jones led MDI with 12 points.
OLD TOWN 64, PRESQUE ISLE 22: The top-seeded Coyotes (20-1) held Presque Isle to three points in the first half and rolled into the Class B North championship game with a rout of the fourth-seeded Wildcats (14-7) in Bangor.
Sydney Loring led Old Town with 19 points. Madelyn Arsenault, Lexi Thibodeau and Saige Evans each added nine as the Coyotes advanced to face No. 2 Hermon on Saturday.
A 3-pointer by Faith Sjoberg was the only basket in the first half for Presque Isle, which fell behind 30-3. Sjoberg, who set a Class B North tournament record with eight 3-pointers in the quarterfinals, was limited to nine points by the Coyotes, and no one else scored more than three points.
BOYS’ HOCKEY
THORNTON ACADEMY 3, GREELY 1: Evan Beaudette scored twice as the Golden Trojans (12-5) ended their regular season with a win over the Rangers (14-4) at Biddeford Ice Arena.
Alex St. John also scored for Thornton.
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