SACO — With Will Davies pushing the pace from the start of the game, Thornton Academy’s boys’ basketball team rolled to an impressive 82-61 home Class AA South win Tuesday against defending state champion South Portland.
Thornton, which won at South Portland 69-60 earlier in the season, improved to 10-1. South Portland is 9-3.
Davies scored 26 points and dished out 11 assists. Five of his assists came in the first quarter. He scored 10 points with three assists in the third quarter and sophomore Trey Eldred hit three 3-point baskets and finished with 11 points.
Thornton outscored the Red Riots 25-9 in the third quarter to take a 68-45 lead.
Jaelen Jackson led South Portland with 17 points, 12 in the second quarter, to help his team keep pace.
For Thornton, Wyatt Benoit scored 12 and Aleesio Marcus had 10 points.
GRAY-NEW GLOUCESTER 62, MT. ARARAT 43: Nathan Hebert hit five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 19 points as the Patriots (9-2) beat the Eagles (5-6) in Gray.
Maxwell Kenney contributed 12 points for G-NG.
Parker Bate and Ryan Staples each scored nine points for Mt. Ararat.
SEACOAST CHRISTIAN 50, SACOPEE VALLEY 39: Isaiah Cardinal had 15 points and eight rebounds to lead the Guardians (4-7), who went on a 17-2 run to end the game, over the Hawks (4-9) in Eliot.
Sunny Johnson had 14 points, 11 rebounds and five steals and Eli Cardinal added 13 for Seacoast Christian.
Tyler Easterbrooks led Sacopee with eight points.
WINTHROP 54, NORTH YARMOUTH ACADEMY 42: Cole Bard and Carter Rivers scored 13 points apiece as the Ramblers (6-6) evened their record with the win at Winthrop.
Matt Beck and Braden Branagan chipped in with nine points apiece for Winthrop.
Jack Byrne led NYA (4-7) with 10 points.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
DEERING 46, LEWISTON 31: Maya Gayle and Nyabhana Lia each scored 15 points to lift the Rams (2-9) over the Blue Devils (2-9) in Portland.
Koral Morin scored 23 points for Lewiston.
SACOPEE VALLEY 46, SEACOAST CHRISTIAN 36: Brooke Landry scored a game-high 20 points and Emma Boulanger added 13 as the Hawks (6-7) handled the Guardians (4-7) in Eliot.
Ellie Leech led Seacoast Christian with 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight steals. Breckyn Winship scored 11 and had seven rebounds.
THORNTON ACADEMY 58, SOUTH PORTLAND 55: Trailing 40-36 after three quarters, the Golden Trojans (12-0) rallied with a 22-15 fourth quarter, going 11 for 15 from the line down the stretch to edge the Red Riots (5-7) at South Portland.
Addisen Sulikowski had 27 points to pace Thornton Academy, and Hannah Cook added 12 points.
Anna Brown fueled South Portland with 19 points, hitting five 3-pointers, and Ava Bryant chipped in with 14 points.
NORTH YARMOUTH ACADEMY 79, WINTHROP 31: Angel Huntsman and Sarah English each produced double-doubles and the Panthers (11-0) rolled over the visiting Ramblers (8-4).
LAKE REGION 56, WAYNFLETE 29: Ava Smith scored 18 points, Melissa Mayo added 11 and Margot Tremblay had 10 as the Lakers (9-2) cruised past the Flyers (2-9) in Naples.
Lucy Hart led Waynflete with 15 points.
MT. ARARAT 41, GRAY-NEW GLOUCESTER 26: Freshman Kayleigh Wagg had 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Eagles (9-2) prevailed over host Gray (9-2).
Cali Pomerleau chipped in with eight points and five steals for Mt. Ararat. Izzy Morello led Gray-New Gloucester with eight points.
BRUNSWICK 56, YARMOUTH 33: Kelsie Carlton had 15 of her 17 points in the second half as the Dragons (9-1) steadily pulled away from the Clippers (4-6) at Brunswick.
Alexis Morin added 13 points for Brunswick.
Cate King and Delia MacDonald had nine points apiece for Yarmouth.
Steve Craig of the Portland Press Herald and Michael Hoffer of The Forecaster contributed to this report.
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