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PORTLAND – Whether watched live, talked about at the office, or viewed on countless videotapes over the next few weeks and years, it’s likely many will have the same reaction to Saturday night’s Class A state championship boys basketball contest:
“What an ugly game.”
Yes, Bangor’s 45-36 victory over Westbrook at the Cumberland County Civic Center was ugly, but only because both team’s defenses played so beautifully.
“Real basketball people know this was a game dictated by defense,” said Bangor coach Roger Reed. “There weren’t many good looks on the court tonight.”
Reed’s veteran, lunch pail, punch-the-clock crew earned an 18-4 season and the Rams’ fourth state crown in eight years with the usual approach: play 32 minutes (or more) of withering, in-your-face, man-to-man defense and simply wear the other team down.
“We haven’t blown out many teams, but in most games, we’ve been good enough… And I think there’s something to be said for being good enough,” said Reed. “When we’ve been put to the test, we’ve fought our way through it.”
Bangor used balanced scoring, overcame foul-shooting frustration, controlled the tempo, and had solid contributions off the bench to edge Westbrook, which finished 16-6.
“We play blue-collar basketball and do whatever we need to do to win,” said senior Nick Loukes (11 points, four steals, three rebounds). “We’re not trying to be stars out here, win scholarships or whatever. We’re trying to win.”
“We’re not fancy and we don’t have the pretty shooters, but the one thing they all do is come out and play defense,” said Reed.
Westbrook coach Mark Karter can vouch for that after watching his team shoot 11-for-44 (25 percent) from the floor for the game.
“Slowing it down didn’t bother us that much I think. We just couldn’t score,” said Karter. “All night, it seemed we were poised for a run, but it just never happened.”
Bangor looked poised for a run after taking a 19-14 lead (a five-point lead in this defensive slugfest was worth about 15 in a normal game) early in the second half, but five fouls in 90 seconds sent Rams starters Joe Campbell (two fouls) and Nick Loukes (three) to the bench. With 5:03 left in the third, defensive stopper Miles Levy joined them with his third.
Enter reserve swingman Josh Johnson and junior guard Joe Vanidestine, who combined for only six points, but helped hold Westbrook’s vaunted athletes in check.
“I was just running around trying to get through the screens,” Vanidestine said. “There was a lot of contact and I just did my best to stay in my guy’s face.”
Johnson came up big in the paint with six rebounds, four with Campbell and Loukes on the bench.
“Joe and Josh were able to step in like nothing had changed,” said Campbell, whose steadying influence was vital to the Rams.
“He and James [Bradford] really came through,” Levy said. “Our big men made the difference.”
Campbell led the team with 12 points, 12 boards, and a block. He also had two steals and an assist for good measure. Bradford epitomized the team’s no-nonsense, blue-collar ethic with eight points, four boards, and two assists – all in a critical fourth quarter stretch.
“What he does for us doesn’t show up a lot in the scorebook,” Reed explained. “He’s our inspirational leader.”
In a back-and-forth game featuring only three lead changes, two ties, and a maximum lead of five points in the first 30 1/2 minutes, Bangor took the lead for good with 1:01 left in the second quarter.
With 3:13 to play, junior guard Brian Wohl (the Blazes’ lone double-digit scorer with a game-high 24 points, plus eight rebounds, three steals, and a block) stole the ball back after a Blazes turnover, scored on a layup on the other end, drew a foul, and hit the foul shot to make it 32-30 Rams.
Loukes answered with a three-point play of his own 22 seconds later. After each team hit two foul shots, Bradford rebounded a missed Rams shot, was fouled, and hit both free throws to make it 39-32 with 1:13 left.
Meanwhile, Westbrook was losing time and players (forward Heath Kennie and center Dominic Taliento fouled out 51 seconds apart with 1:30 to play). Bangor, which missed nine of its first 15 foul shots, turned things around by canning 13 of 14 in the fourth.
“I just tried to concentrate more.” said Loukes, trying to explain his 5-for-5 effort after starting 0-for-4 on the line. “You know… I knew we had to hit them. It was crunch time, so I just put ’em in.”
Bangor shot 39.4 percent from the field while outrebounding the Blazes 32-27. The game was the lowest-scoring Class A state final since Bangor beat Morse of Bath by the exact same score in 1955.
“I thought I had this my sophomore year [lost in East final], so I can’t describe how good it feels to get out of here with this one,” said Corey Gildart, who overcame a slight ankle sprain and scored eight points.
Rams 45, Blue Blazes 36
Bangor boys (18-4) Westbrook (16-6)
Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP
Vanidestine 2 3 0 1 4 Kennie 2 3 0 2 4
Loukes 3 14 5 9 11 Levecque 1 11 1 2 3
Gildart 2 6 4 4 8 Brant 0 1 0 0 0
Levy 0 1 0 0 0 Wohl 6 23 10 11 24
Campbell 3 4 6 7 12 Cote 0 2 0 0 0
Bradford 2 4 4 5 8 Dyer 2 4 1 2 5
Johnson 1 1 0 3 2 Malley 0 0 0 0 0
Ross 0 0 0 0 0
Taliento 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 13 33 19 29 45 Totals 11 44 12 17 36
Bangor 7 17 24 45
Westbrook 8 13 21 36
3-pt. goals: Bangor (0-5): Vanidestine 0-1, Loukes 0-1, Gildart 0-3; Westbrook (2-10): Wohl 2-7, Brant 0-1, Cote 0-2
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