BANGOR – A clutch performance by Shead’s “sixth man” allowed the Tigers from Eastport to get by a stubborn Bangor Christian team at the Bangor Auditorium Tuesday morning.

Shead’s John Newcomb came off the bench to score two big baskets, hit 2-for-2 from the line and pull down a couple of key rebounds – all in the fourth quarter – to help lead the No. 2 Tigers past the No. 7 Patriots 59-55 in an Eastern Maine Class D quarterfinal.

Shead will take on No. 3 Machias in a 3:35 p.m. semi on Thursday.

The Patriots ran their shuffle offense in the first half to slow the tempo. But Shead’s aggressive rebounding foiled that strategy.

After the Patriots mounted a 10-4 run to get within four points, Shead coach Kendrick Mitchell called a timeout to settle his troops with 2:58 to play.

Just 22 seconds later, Newcomb, who had not scored, was fouled and sank both ends of a 1-and-1.

Newcomb also scored Shead’s next four points on a rebounded miss and a power move in the lane to put the Tigers up 56-52.

“John probably on any other team would be playing more, and he’ll probably play more now,” said Mitchell. “He’s our sixth man. He plays well enough to start.”

The Patriots’ Mark Treadwell was equally hot, dueling back and forth with Newcomb and scoring B.C.’s last nine points. But it wasn’t enough as the Patriots ran out of time.

The decisive moment for Shead may have been early in the third quarter when senior guard Jason Cook (19 points) hit two 3-pointers to pace a 10-2 run that put Shead up by 11. Cook also hit a 55-foot, 3 point bomb at the third-quarter buzzer.

Mike Raye scored 15 points for Shead and Shirl Penney had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Treadwell led the Patriots with 17 points. Anderson Silva had 13 points and 11 boards, and Don Martin scored 14 points.

Tigers 59, Patriots 55

Bangor Christian Shead boys

Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP

McKenna 2 2 0 0 5 Rice 0 0 0 0 0

Shaw 3 15 0 1 6 Barnes 4 7 0 1 8

Eckstein 0 0 0 0 0 Cook 7 17 4 7 19

Payne 0 1 0 0 0 Penney 4 9 1 2 9

Silva 3 5 7 14 13 Newcomb 2 2 2 2 6

Treadwell 4 11 7 10 17 M. Raye 5 14 1 4 15

Martin 4 8 5 6 14 Bakis 1 1 0 0 2

Cohn 0 0 0 0 0 T. Raye 0 0 0 0 0

Downes 0 1 0 0 0

Totals 16 42 19 31 55 Totals 23 51 8 16 59

Bangor Christian 10 22 34 55

Shead 10 25 44 59

3-pt. goals: Bangor Christian (4-13): McKenna 1-1, Shaw 0-6, Treadwell 2-5, Martin 1-1; Shead (5-10): Cook 1-2, M. Raye 4-8