BANGOR – In the end, Penquis girls basketball coach Wally Russell got everything he wanted: a last-second by shot by either April Allen or Lindsay Hamlin, a rebound, free throws, and a win for the Patriots of Milo in Friday evening’s Eastern Maine Class C semifinal game against Dexter.

And as she stood at the free-throw line with 2.4 seconds left, the moment was everything Hamlin thought it would be.

Hamlin made one of two free throws after she was fouled trying to put back an Allen shot, lifting Penquis to a 42-41 victory in one of the most exciting girls games yet of the Eastern Maine tournament.

Hamlin scored 14 points and the Patriots earned a berth in the EM final against defending state champ Calais. The Blue Devils won the afternoon semifinal against Central of Corinth.

Dexter and Penquis played twice in the regular season, with the Tigers winning both games. Those contests certainly gave both teams a lot to think about.

So Dexter coach Margaret Veazie wasn’t surprised when Russell sent his team back into the game from a timeout with a high-stack offense to hold for the last shot, even though there was about 1:30 left in the game (Dexter assistant coach Lloyd Connors predicted Russell would go to the high stack).

Indeed, the Patriots ran the offense until Allen threw up a jumper that never hit the rim. Hamlin grabbed the miss and was fouled on the put-back attempt by Dexter senior standout Kristy Veazie, who was whistled for her fifth personal.

“I was looking for Lindsey or April,” Russell said of his last-minute plan. “April shot it, Lindsey rebounded it. I was glad she had two [free throws]. I really thought she was going to make two because she’s a real heady, confident player.”

Hamlin missed the first free throw but made the second shot.

“When I caught the airball and put it back up and they blew the whistle, I was just out of my mind,” she said. “I just thought, this only happens in movies. I didn’t think it would ever happen. … I was really confident that I could make them. I missed the first one and that made me a little shaky, but I was still sure.”

And it all happened with Penquis point guard Megan Russell (13 points) on the bench with five fouls. Megan Russell, Wally Russell’s daughter, fouled out with 1:39 to go, but not before hitting the shot of the game: a 3-pointer from the top of the key over Brittany Veazie that tied the game at 41-41.

Margaret Veazie enlisted Lindsay Turner to help get off a last-ditch shot. Turner inbounded the ball to Brittany Veazie, who lobbed it to 6-foot-3 Ashley Ames, but Ames’ shot missed the mark as time expired.

Margaret Veazie, the mother of sisters Kristy and Brittany, liked the way her team responded to Penquis’ offense.

“We tried to play tough defense, which we did, but they got the rebound,” she said. “It came down to the rebound.”

The Patriots wanted to contain Dexter’s twin-tower centers Ames and 6-foot Ashley Foster. Ames had a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds; Foster had nine points.

“Before we’d leave them to help out, but this time we did not leave them,” Megan Russell said. “We just stuck to them like glue.”

Kristy Veazie finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

PATRIOTS 42, TIGERS 41

Dexter (19-2) Penquis (19-2)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

B. Veazie 0 4 1 2 1 Russell 6 18 13

K. Veazie 2 9 4 4 10 L. Hamlin 4 10 3 4 14

Haiko 0 1 0 0 0 Allen 3 10 7

Nelson 0 3 0 0 0 E. Morrill 0 0

Pullen 0 0 0 0 0 Gerrish 0 0 0

Patterson 1 8 0 0 2 Madden 0 0 0

L. Turner 0 0 0 0 0 K. Hamlin 0 0

Foster 3 8 3 6 9 Cobb 1 4 2

Ames 8 11 3 6 19 J. Hamlin 3 5 6

Totals 14 44 11 18 41 Totals 17 53 42

Dexter 17 25 34 41

Penquis 13 25 31 42

3-pt. goals: Dexter (2-8): K. Veazie 2-6, B. Veazie 0-1, Nelson 0-1; Penquis (5-12): L. Hamlin 3-5, Allen 1-2, Russell 1-4, K. Hamlin 0-1