Callanan, ‘Jammers win in OT > Camden-Rockport to face Bucksport next

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BANGOR – Nick Callanan remembers the day in January when his dismal, 4-for-15 free-throw shooting was instrumental in a close loss to rival Belfast.

Camden-Rockport’s senior guard redeemed himself Wednesday at the Bangor Auditorium. This time, a spot in the Eastern Maine Class B title game was riding on his ability to convert.

Callanan made seven of eight foul shots in overtime, sinking all six in the second extra period, to lift No. 2 Camden-Rockport to a 66-63 win over No. 3 Belfast.

Callanan scored 17 of his game-high 25 points in overtime, lifting the Windjammers into Saturday’s 3:35 p.m. title game against No. 4 Bucksport, a 67-64 winner Wednesday night over No. 9 Orono.

“It was a great game. It was great to be part of it,” Callanan said. “Belfast played their hearts out, they had nothing to be ashamed of. It was just a matter of who made the freebies at the end.”

The 17-3 Windjammers made eight of 14 foul shots in regulation, but hit nine of 10 in overtime.

“It usually comes down to that,” said Cam-Rock coach Jeff Hart. “Every year when we come up here, we spend a good half-hour every practice the last two weeks shooting free throws, and that’s the difference.”

The Windjammers’ depth seemed to take its toll on Butch Richards’ Lions in the second four-minute OT, when Belfast missed its first two shots, both from close range. Callanan answered for Camden-Rockport, drawing fouls and making his shots both times.

Belfast, which split two regular-season games with Camden-Rockport, hung close. Sazi Guthrie cut the deficit to 62-61 with a 3-pointer at the 2:53 mark. The teams traded misses before Camden-Rockport called timeout with 1:25 to play.

The Windjammers’ patience won out after they went into a more deliberate triangle offense. Jon Moro fed Jon Masin-Peters for a layup, but Belfast got back within 64-63 on two Ian Lewis free throws with 15.7 seconds remaining.

After a Belfast timeout, Callanan took the inbounds pass and was fouled, then made two more freebies to push the lead to three.

Guthrie and Joe Littlefield got off 3-pointers for the Lions in the closing seconds, but both missed.

“We got the ball inside a lot and missed some shots that we normally would make,” Richards said. “They go a little deeper, and I think we did get a little tired down the stretch.”

Masin-Peters provided 15 points and five rebounds for the winners. Jim Wilson added eight points and Max Leighton five points and seven rebounds. Travis Benjamin sparked Belfast with 19 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and three steals.

The Lions also got 16 points and eight rebounds from Lewis. Littlefield had five points and eight boards.

Camden-Rockport led by as many as six points during a frantic first half, but it was a two-point game at the break. A seesaw second half ensued.

In Wednesday’s finale, the Golden Bucks charged out to a big early lead, then spent the last three periods holding the Red Riots at bay.

Bucksport beat Orono with its offensive balance and aggressive man-to-man defense, which held the Riots scoreless for more than three minutes during a key stretch of the fourth quarter.

Bucksport led 57-48 early in the fourth, but Orono made a final surge. R.J. Myers made three of four foul shots and scored on a rebound, making it a four-point game, then Barry Terrill scored from inside at the 3:34 mark.

Orono would not score again until there were 19 seconds left.

The 15-5 Bucks, who forced Orono to abandon its 2-3 zone and play man-to-man, gradually pulled away. Two Steve Smith free throws, a lane runner and 10-foot baseline jumper by Greg Gobel, and foul shots by Jody Peak and John Beck made it a 65-55 ballgame.

“I thought we picked up the pace a little bit defensively,” said Bucks coach Larry Deans. “We felt if we could get real good pressure on [Robey] Rhoads and [Scott] Cunningham, they’d be forced to look at other options.”

Gobel paced Bucksport with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Smith added 13 points and nine assists. Joshua Clough provided 12 points and six rebounds and Jody Peak added 11 points.

Cunningham led the 12-9 Riots with 19 points, Rhoads had 16 points and five assists, Barry Terrill scored 11, and Jeremy Poulin had 10.

Bucksport built a 15-2 lead behind the inside-outside combo of Clough and Smith, but Orono slowed the Bucks with a 2-3 zone.

“We came out fired up, but then we kind of let down in the second,” Gobel said. “We knew they were going to make a run on us.”

Windjammers 66, Lions 63 (2 OT)

Belfast boys (16-4) Camden-Rockport (17-3)

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

Benjamin 6 13 7 13 19 Wilson 2 7 4 4 8

Guthrie 3 14 0 0 8 Moro 2 11 0 0 5

Knowlton 0 0 0 2 0 Rogers 1 2 0 0 2

Lewis 5 14 6 6 16 Callanan 8 13 8 10 25

Mills 2 5 0 0 4 Beveridge 1 6 0 3 2

J. Littlefield 2 9 1 2 5 King 0 1 0 0 0

Place 0 0 0 0 0 Masin-Pet’rs 5 11 2 3 15

K. Marden 3 4 0 0 6 J. Marden 1 3 2 2 4

Walsh 2 6 1 2 5 Leighton 2 6 1 2 5

T. Marden 0 1 0 0 0

Neville 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 23 65 15 25 63 Totals 22 61 17 24 66

Belfast 10 22 34 49 58 63

Camden-Rockport 12 24 35 49 58 66

3-pt. goals: Belfast (2-13): Guthrie 2-9, Lewis 0-1, Littlefield 0-3; Camden-Rockport (5-21): Wilson 0-2, Moro 1-4, Rogers 0-1, Callanan 1-4, Masin-Peters 3-7, J. Marden 0-2, T. Marden 0-1

Attendance: 2,745

Bucks 67, Red Riots 64

Bucksport (15-5) Orono (12-9)

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

Smith 3 4 6 6 13 Rhoads 7 16 0 0 16

Russell 0 0 0 0 0 Johnson 0 1 0 0 0

LaChance 3 5 1 2 7 LaPointe 0 0 0 0 0

Pollard 0 0 1 2 1 Myers 1 2 4 6 6

Peak 4 10 2 6 11 Poulin 4 6 0 0 10

Gobel 8 18 2 5 18 Cunningham 6 14 4 4 19

Clough 4 10 4 5 12 Torrey 1 2 0 0 2

Beck 2 2 1 2 5 Terrill 5 8 1 6 11

Enos 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 22 47 16 26 67 Totals 24 49 9 16 64

Orono 11 34 46 64

Bucksport 26 35 53 67

3-pt. goals: Orono (7-18): Rhoads 2-8, Johnson 0-1, Poulin 2-4, Cunningham 3-5; Bucksport (2-5): Smith 1-1, Peak 1-4