BANGOR – With 12 seconds to play in what was shaping up as a classic thriller, it was Peter Moro’s turn in Camden Hills’ hero-of-the-moment rotation.

Moro’s pickpocket-style steal of the ball from Gorham’s Kendrick Ballantyne as the Rams were setting up for the game-winning shot, a fast break lay-in with five seconds left, and subsequent foul drawn on a Gorham defender more than fit the requirements as he helped lead Camden to a dramatic 63-60 victory.

Camden’s senior guard and tri-captain drained his foul shot with 4.9 seconds to play and then doubled up against Ballantyne with teammate Tyler Warren as Ballantyne’s launched a game-tying 3-point attempt from the left wing with one second left. The ball bounced off the rim and the buzzer sounded on the Windjammers’ second straight Class B state championship Friday night at the Bangor Auditorium.

“We knew pretty much he was going there and we got a real nice trap on him, and the ball just popped out and bounced my way,” Moro said of the steal. “I was really scared, to tell you the truth because I didn’t want to lose it.”

It didn’t get any less scary for him at the line.

“Actually, I’m probably one of the weakest foul shooters on the team,” Moro added.

The Auditorium’s latest titillating title game gave 22-1 Camden its third state title in the last four years.

“It’s quite a crew. I’m pretty proud of ’em,” said Camden coach Jeff Hart. “It’s just been a fun season because of these guys right here. Loved it, loved it… There’s no other way to describe it.”

Moro’s game-changing effort was just the latest in a long line of clutch plays turned in by at least seven Windjammers. Just seven seconds earlier, senior guard Troy Gabriele somehow darted to the right block and ripped away the rebound off his own missed 3-pointer after a scramble under the basket and drew a foul on Gorham star forward Andy Jenkins.

It was Jenkins’ fifth, but only the seventh for Gorham, which meant Gabriele had to make the first just to get Camden within a point as the Rams held a 60-58 lead. After a Camden timeout, Gabriele strode to the line and almost nonchalantly hit his first shot. As the Camden fans turned the home side of the Auditorium into red-and-white delirium, Gabriele made the second for his game-best 21st point and tie the score.

“I was just trying to clear my mind when I was up there,” said Gabriele, who also had five rebounds and two steals. “The timeout helped me settle down a bit after all the chaos.”

Before Gabriele, star swingman Tyler Warren rebounded a missed Camden foul shot to allow the Jammers to keep their hopes alive just one minute, 43 seconds after Gorham had taken a 60-54 lead and threatened to ice the game.

Before Warren’s rebound, freshman forward Tim Stammen (nine points) drew a foul and hit his first of two shots – after teammate Grant Lippman hauled down a defensive board following a Gorham miss of a 1-and-1 foul shot with 44 seconds left.

Before Lippman, Lippman (10 points, 16 rebounds) grabbed another missed Gorham 1-and-1 with 1:15 to play.

Before Lippman (part II), Warren set a 9-0 game-ending Camden run in motion by dropping a 3-pointer in from the right wing off a swing pass from Moro (four assists, four steals) with 1:53 left.

Warren, another of those heady tri-captains, finished with 13 points despite constant attention from Gorham’s man-to-man and matchup zone defenses.

Camden came all the way back from 12 points down in the second quarter just as 19-4 Gorham looked as if it was pulling away for good. A 9-4 Camden run to finish the first half closed the deficit to three points at the half.

In the second half, Camden turned up the defensive intensity of their halfcourt, multiple-look press, uncharacteristically slowed the tempo down, and concentrated on inside to take advantage of Gorham foul trouble.

“We just wanted to run them dry. We knew in the fourth they’d be tired and this is our style,” said Moro, noting that Gorham was using just a six-player rotation.

Gorham had a 36-34 overall rebounding edge, but the ‘Jammers had a big 18-9 edge on the offensive boards and also forced 22 turnovers while committing just 11.

Rams center Ryan Nealey had 15 points and 10 boards. Jenkins (19 points and Ballantyne (16 points, seven boards) became huge Camden targets in the second half.

WINDJAMMERS 63, RAMS 60

Gorham (19-4) Camden Hills (22-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Jenkins 9 16 1 1 19 Crupi 0 0 0

Kershner 3 4 2 5 8 May 0 2 0

Willis 1 4 0 1 2 Gabriele 8 22 3 4 21

Griffin 0 0 0 0 0 Moro 3 7 8

Ballantyne 5 14 4 4 16 T. Stammen 4 9

Nealey 7 9 1 2 15 Warren 4 16 13

G. Stammen 0 0 0

Dennen 1 2 0 2

Lippman 4 8 2 10

Totals 25 47 8 13 60 Totals 24 65 10 13 63

Gorham 19 34 50 60

Camden Hills 11 31 44 63

3-pt. goals: Gorham ( 2-7): Ballantyne 2-7; Camden Hills ( 5-23): Gabriele 2-9, Warren 2-9, Moro 1-3, May 0-2