Regular season games will pause for most high school basketball teams during the holidays, but the annual Red Claws Christmas Showcase will feature exhibitions involving teams from southern Maine and throughout the Northeast.
Twenty boys’ teams, including three from New York City, and eight girls’ teams are scheduled to play Thursday through Saturday at the Portland Expo. All of the games are exhibitions except a regular-season contest between the Cape Elizabeth and Falmouth boys at 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
The tournament is hosted by Portland High. Admission is $5 per day for adults ($3 for students and seniors). Proceeds benefit the Portland High Blue and White booster club.
Here is the schedule:
THURSDAY
11:30 a.m., Portland vs. Falmouth boys; 1 p.m., Yarmouth vs. Massabesic girls; 2:30 p.m, Yarmouth vs. Biddeford boys; 4 p.m., Waynflete vs. Hollis Brookline, N.H. boys; 5:30 p.m., Westbrook vs. Lisbon boys; 7 p.m., Portland vs. Brunswick boys; 8:15 p.m., Portland vs. Greely girls.
FRIDAY
9:15 a.m., Wells vs. Cheverus girls; 10:30 a.m., Portland vs. Lincoln Academy girls; 11:45 a.m., Lincoln Academy vs. Hollis Brookline, N.H. boys; 1 p.m., Portland vs. Wells girls; 2:30 p.m., Cheverus vs. Brunswick girls; 4 p.m., Biddeford vs. Epic South, N.Y. boys; 5:30 p.m., Morse vs. Thomas Edison High, N.Y. boys; 7:30 p.m., Brunswick vs. McMahon, Conn. boys; 8:30 p.m., Gray-New Gloucester vs. Transit Tech, N.Y. boys.
SATURDAY
11:30 a.m., McMahon, Conn. vs. Maranacook boys; 1 p.m., Massabesic vs. Maranacook girls; 2:30 p.m., Portland vs. Massabesic boys; 4 p.m., Greely vs. Epic South, N.Y. boys; 5:30 p.m., Cape Elizabeth vs. Falmouth boys; 7 p.m., Transit Tech, N.Y. vs. Greely boys; 8:30 p.m., Deering vs. Thomas Edison High, N.Y. boys.
SEACOAST WINTER CLASSIC
Eight boys’ basketball teams, including six from southern Maine, will help raise funds for the family of Maine State Police Detective Ben Campbell, who was killed while on duty in a freak traffic accident in April.
The Seacoast Winter Classic, held at New Hampshire’s Portsmouth High from Thursday to Saturday, is a tournament-style format with a consolation bracket.
The quarterfinal games on Thursday pit South Portland against Marshwood at 3 p.m.; Sanford against Kennebunk at 4:30 p.m.; York against Mascenic (N.H.) Regional at 6 p.m.; and Traip Academy vs. host Portsmouth at 7:30 p.m.
The championship round semifinals are at 1 and 2:30 p.m., on Friday with the championship game scheduled for 2:30 p.m., on Saturday.
Campbell died when he stopped to assist a stranded motorist on I-95 in Hampden, and was struck by a detached tire from a passing logging truck. Campbell, 31, left behind a wife and young son.
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