Windham defeats Cheverus in high stakes game
The Windham Eagles beat the Cheverus Stags this Tuesday evening.
Windham is in first place for boys Class AA North. They have thirteen wins and two losses, both of which have been this January. The Eagles had a devastating loss against the Gorham Rams by 27 points; and, last game they faced the third ranked Portland Bulldogs and only lost by one point.
Cheverus is in second place with a record of thirteen wins and two losses as well. They lost back in December to the Scarborough Red Storm by eight points and to Windham by just five points in overtime. The Stags are reeling from a close win that should give them a little confidence.
The Eagles stand behind Sophomore guard Tyrie James who scored 18 points last game with his quick ball handling. Windham relies on their high shot percentage and well organized defense to win games.
The Stags have several scorers, similar to Windham. Juniors Leo McNabb and Sammy Nzeyimana and Senior Gio St.Onge all aid their team on the scoreboard. Not to mention, Cheverus’ forwards stand tough in the paint to control traffic during their fast-paced play.
These teams are at the top of the highly competitive Class AA, making this a sneak peek into the playoffs.
The Stags had a successful start to the game with their aggressive defense; St.Onge caused two consecutive turnovers with his scrappy play early in the first quarter. Down 9-4, McNabb was fouled on his layup through traffic. He made the deuce and the bonus to cut the Eagles lead to two points.
Senior forward for Windham, Quinton Lindsay, backed his defender into the key. He made a spin move to add two to the scoreboard. With one minute left in the first Cheverus was within one point. McNabb scored a floater making the score 16-15, but James hit a bonus free throw to tie the quarter 16-16.
Windham started to pull away in the second quarter. Junior guard Conor Janvrin made some impressive baskets for the Eagles. Scoring through contact once on a layup and elevating for the putback to get his team up 22-16.
Sophomore forward Jameson Fitzpatrick woke up this quarter as Windham started having a hard time guarding him in the paint. He scored a few layups keeping the Stags within striking range. However, Cheverus had a tough time making their outside shots fall compared to Windham. So, the Eagles were able to build a ten point lead at 34-24 going into the second half.
The Stags struggled in the third quarter with a copious amount of turnovers due to the Eagles heckling defense. A minute in, Senior guard Erik Bowen, drained a triple for Windham, securing their dominance on both ends of the court.
Luckily, amidst every unfruitful play, McNabb was there to pick Cheverus back up. He scored a total of 33 points this game, with 22 in the second half as the reality of a loss became more apparent. He winded through the key several times, dodging defenders to get to the open basket. But, at the end of the third, the Stags were still down 46-36.
Cheverus won the fourth quarter scoring six more points than Windham. McNabb continued to push the ball to the hoop with help from his teammates' aggressive defense. Junior forward, Shema Rwaganje, made a few key defensive plays that allowed his team to get within three points with three minutes left in the game.
Unfortunately for the Stags, Janvrin stuck a three pointer at the two minute mark, crushing their spirits of a win. McNabb made a scoop layup midair while St.Onge had a putback cutting it to a four point game. But, the few seconds left on the clock did not allow for Cheverus to overcome Windham. The Eagles took this game 55-51.
Both teams play again this Friday, February 2nd at home. Windham will face Oxford Hills and Cheverus will play Bangor.
