Class B boys states
The Orono Red Riots upset the Oceanside Mariners 56-48 Friday evening in the boys Class B state championship.
The Mariners overcame Lincoln Academy in a shockingly high-scoring dub of 73-48; asserting their first-place dominance. While the Red Riots battled season rival, Old Town, winning 58-44 in a physical matchup.
The Red Riots have a lot of contributors, similar to their opponents. Senior Pierce Walston, as the point-guard, takes his time to find open teammates, but won’t hesitate to take his open shots. Junior forward Will Francis and Senior guard Ben Francis take over as the centers on the court. They gather the rebounds on both ends, scoring easy putbacks and pushing the ball.
The Mariner’s offense relies on their sharp-shooting. Twin Senior guards, Cohen and Carter Galley, rarely miss their open shots and can penetrate the ball inside the key allowing for teammate’s open shots. Junior guard, Zeb Foster, also helps to take the pressure off the twins.
Orono made an impressive run in the first quarter. Bergen Soderberg, a Sophomore guard, drilled a triple in the first possession of the game. Walston and Will Francis collaborated on offense to take a fast 17-7 lead with four minutes left in the first.
Oceanside called a timeout to discuss their opponent’s methods, which was a critical move by head coach Larry Reed. Carter Galley hit a three-pointer out of the break to stay close to Orono while Foster added two free throws. The Red Riots took the first quarter 19-14.
On defense, Orono attacked the ball wherever it stood on the court, frustrating Oceanside. But the same can’t be said for the Mariner’s. In the first half their defense was non-comparable to the Red Riots, which led to their deficit. Though, Oceanside did focus on playing their game- the game of scoring. Carter Galley wound through the paint on a putback a minute into the second quarter, making the game 19-16.
With four minutes left in the half the Red Riots made a textbook play. Soderberg whipped the rock to Ben Francis on the elbow, who redirected it to Noah Schaff, a Junior center, for two. Foster rallied in the last minute of playtime. He hit a deep triple, then, barreling down the court, took a layup. On the drive he made the basket and the bonus shot from the foul. However, Orono was still in the lead 29-25.
Freshman center, Leland Galley, showed up in the second half for Oceanside. He provided his team with several second chance opportunities, blocks and easy baskets underneath. The scoring in the third quarter was phenomenal, both teams put in a lot of effort to extend their scores.
Cohen Galley hit a triple with four minutes left, making the Mariner’s deficit 33-30. Shortly after Ben and Will Francis both made deuces to stay ahead. Walston elevated on his drive right under the basket over Leland Galley, advancing Orono’s lead by seven. Along with his meticulous ball handling, Walston made some beautiful assists in this game; allowing the Red Riots to take a 41-37 lead heading into the final quarter.
A minute in, Leland Galley had a putback to get within two points. In the next possession, he made a huge block on Walston driving. Oceanside pushed the ball around the arch with six minutes left on the clock. It found its way back to Leland galley, who tied the game 41-41.
On a drive, Walston dumped the ball to Schaff on the low block, making the score 45-41 with three left in the game. The score fluctuated for Oceanside. One minute they were two points behind, then ten seconds later it would become a two possession game for them. Luckily, Carter Galley drained a three with a minute left to get within two once again.
From then on it became a game of fouls. The Red Riots cashed their opportunities and played tremendous defense to close out their win, 56-48.
