Morse’s Gavin Baillargeon, left, leans into Brunswick’s Trevor Gerrish as Gerrish makes a move to the hoop during the first half of a Class A South boys basketball game Tuesday night in Bath. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
BATH — The Morse boys basketball team will have its season end this week with the conclusion of the regular season.
While the Shipbuilders won’t qualify for the Class A South playoffs, they will enter the offseason with some much-needed momentum.
Gavin Baillargeon scored a game-high 26 points to help Morse handle Brunswick 65-47 on Tuesday night. The Shipbuilders improved to 2-15 and dealt a tough blow to Brunswick’s playoff hopes. The Dragons (5-12) are currently sitting ninth in Class A South Heal points; the top eight will go the playoffs.
“They always play hard, but (on Tuesday) we finally started executing and I told them once our execution starts climbing up where our intensity is, we’re gonna be tough team to beat. (Tuesday night) we executed with poise and it really made a difference,” said Morse coach Chris York.
Trace McFarland scored 13 points, while Wyatt Shipley and Andrew Card each scored seven. Sophomore Trevor Gerrish led Brunswick with 15 points while Thomas Harvey chipped in with 11. Jared Similien and Noah Johnson scored eight and seven points, respectively.
The Dragons raced out to a 13-3 lead, highlighted by a Similien steal for an open layup and a pair of 3-pointers from Harvey.
But then the Shipbuilders started to warm up. They trailed just 15-13 after big 3-pointers from Baillargeon and McFarland.
Brunswick’s Noah Gaghan, left, goes to the hoop as Morse’s Gavin Baillargeon tries to get a hand on the ball during a Class A South boys basketball game Tuesday night in Bath. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
“We were just kind of sticking to our guns and not getting away from the game plan,” said York. “It would have been super easy for us down 10 to start making decisions that were unnecessary, so we just stuck to the script and guys started making shots and it turned around for us.”
The Shipbuilders struck first in the second when Baillargeon’s three-point play gave Morse a one-point lead. After another free throw, Morse’s first lead of the game was diminished when Johnson’s put back tied the game at 17.
A Cam Beal 3-pointer gave Brunswick a 22-19 lead, but it was all Morse the rest of the way. The Shipbuilders went on a 10-2 run to take a 29-24 lead into halftime.
“We definitely wanted momentum in this game,” said Baillargeon. “(We said) it’s the Dragons, we wanted this so bad. We knew this was the last shot to play them so we had to go out there and have fun and play just as hard as we do every game.”
Baillargeon credited the team’s mentality for turning the game’s momentum around.
Morse’s Gabe Morrison (23) falls back after making contact with Brunswick’s Jared Smilien during a Class A South boys basketball game Tuesday night in Bath. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
“We were playing a little bit too far off the ball, we realized we had toughen up on the ball,” he said. “We had to crash the boards more and even though we got the boards, we had to push it and get the baskets.”
Brunswick only managed six points in the third quarter, as it was plagued by poor shooting from the free-throw line. Brunswick closed within 31-29 with just over four minutes remaining in the quarter, but a 13-1 run by Morse to close out the frame extended the lead to 44-30.
“They get a lot of credit. They played really hard. I thought they outplayed us for all 32 (minutes). They got every 50/50 ball and beat us in transition; they earned it,” said Brunswick coach Ben Clark. “We missed 20 free throws (11-30), we lost by 18, so we have to be better, that doesn’t win games and especially rivalry games.”
The Shipbuilders were 9-of-13 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
Brunswick now shifts its attention to the regular season finale Thursday against Mt. Ararat (9-8).
“We have to play better obviously, we’ve got to play harder, like we’re capable of. This wasn’t who we are, we have to come Thursday ready to play,” said Clark.
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