BUCKSPORT – Last year, Frank DiStefano came into his own as one of the best pivot players in Eastern Maine Class B basketball. This year, he wants to be even better.

The 6-foot-5 Houlton center is showing he can do more than block shots, man the paint, and clog up the lane. Monday night at Jewett Gymnasium, this big man proved he has an all-around game.

DiStefano shot a whopping 88 percent from the field en route to a game-high 30 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks in Houlton’s 71-61 victory over Bucksport.

“We knew coming into the season we’d have to all do a little more because when you lose Mike Weston and Willie Sleeper, you’re obviously going to be hurting a bit in the guard category,” DiStefano said. “I wanted to improve my all-around game anyway, but it’s kind of a role I had to take on.”

DiStefano exhibited some nice ball-handling skills while sometimes bringing the ball up the court against Bucksport’s relentless halfcourt press and man-to-man pressure. He finished with four assists – none prettier than a nifty, no-look one to guard Kyle Hipsley for a layup with two minutes to go.

“He’s a smart basketball player and I think he’s one of the best players in the state right now,” said Houlton coach Jerry Adams. “I mean you’ve got two or three on him every night and look what he’s still doing.

“I’m going to go to him until somebody can prove to me that they can stop him. He’s the basketball team right now.”

The score started a 6-2 run that finally allowed the 4-1 Shiretowners to breathe a little easier against a stubborn Bucks squad that refused to let Houlton get too far ahead for three quarters.

“That was key, and that other spurt they had in the fourth [a 6-0 run that turned a two-point lead with 6:43 to play into eight with 4:10 left] kind of changed the momentum,” said coach Dave Gonyar, whose Bucks drop to 1-5.

Gonyar got the kind of defense he was hoping for against the taller Shiretowners as they harried Houlton into 26 turnovers while committing only nine of their own, but the Bucks’ outside shooting let them down. Bucksport shot just 11 percent from 3-point range (2-for-19).

Although smooth sophomore swingman Jason Harvey led the Bucks with 23 points and six assists, he was 0-for-8 from the 3-point line against Houlton’s matchup zone defense, which switched from 2-3 to 3-2 to 1-3-1 to 1-4. Add that to a distinct advantage in shooting and rebounding, and it was all too much for Bucksport’s turnover advantage to overcome.

The 1-2 combo of DiStefano and athletic forward Reuben Thomas – who also played some guard after a fourth foul sent Hipsley (11 points) to the bench 2:18 into the second half – was also too much for the Bucks, who were outrebounded 45 to 20 – 31 to 20 by DiStefano and Thomas.

“We couldn’t keep ’em off the boards. That was the 10-point difference right there,” said Gonyar.

Houlton’s biggest lead in a close game (11 points) didn’t come until there was 3:09 left to play. As the Shires shot 7-for-8 from the line the rest of the way, the Bucks wore down. Their 2-for-8 effort from 3-point range and 5-for-17 shooting from the field in the fourth quarter attested to that.

Sophomore guard-forward Corey Guilford stepped up for the Bucks with 20 points and seven rebounds.

Shiretowners 71, Golden Bucks 61

Houlton (3-1) Bucksport (1-4)

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

Jones 3 7 2 4 8 Allard 2 6 0 0 4

Thomas 6 6 2 4 14 Chase 2 5 0 0 4

Donahue 1 1 0 0 2 C. Harvey 0 3 0 2 0

Frenette 0 1 0 0 0 Guilford 8 16 2 2 20

Bernard 0 1 0 0 0 J. Harvey 9 27 5 11 23

Wu 0 0 0 0 0 Penarama 2 4 0 0 4

Cottle 1 1 0 2 2 McHale 0 1 0 0 0

Hipsley 3 5 4 4 11 Ogden 3 5 0 0 6

Distefano 14 16 2 3 30 Edridge 0 0 0 0 0

McGary 2 9 0 0 4

Totals 30 47 10 17 71 Totals 26 67 7 15 61

Houlton 15 34 48 71

Bucksport 14 32 45 61

3-pt. goals: Houlton (1-1): Hipsley 1-1; Bucksport (2-19): Allard 0-2, Chase 0-1, C. Harvey 0-2, Guilford 2-5, Harvey 0-8, Penarama 0-1

Attendance: 200 (est.)