BANGOR – Sometimes there’s no explaining how a schoolboy basketball team embarks upon that magical run that leads to a championship.

It’s what makes the Eastern Maine high school basketball tournament special, said Hermon coach Alan Tweedie in the days before his Hawks began postseason play, and perhaps he’s now watching such a story unfold before his eyes.

Hermon took another step toward its first regional title since 2000 on Wednesday, stunning top-ranked Foxcroft Academy 59-51 in a semifinal at the Bangor Auditorium.

“We’re a team of runs, and we’re getting some momentum going,” said senior guard Adam Gould, who made 6 of 8 free throws over the last 1:11 to help preserve the Hawks’ second win in three meetings with Foxcroft this season.

Fifth-ranked Hermon (14-6) will face third-seeded Erskine Academy of South China in Saturday’s regional final. The Eagles (17-3) ousted defending state champion Winslow 51-49 earlier Wednesday.

Foxcroft (17-3) brought to this game a considerable height advantage in the low post in 6-foot-8 senior Brandon Hall and 6-3 junior Matt Carey.

While that duo combined for 36 points and 18 rebounds, the Ponies were unable to come up with complementary play on the perimeter due to Hermon defensive pressure that forced 19 Foxcroft turnovers.

“Tempo worked to our favor as the game went along,” said Tweedie. “We didn’t get a lot of conversions off our defense, but we were able to maintain the control of the game.”

Three of those turnovers came in the final minute of the first half, leading to a Gould layup and a 3-pointer by Jason Shorey at the buzzer that pulled Hermon within 25-23.

The Hawks then went on a 13-2 run midway through the third quarter, with Ben Adams scoring twice inside and Shorey adding a 3-pointer as Hermon took a 41-31 lead.

From there the Ponies played catch-up, but got no closer than four points at 41-37 on a Carey layup in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter.

“I don’t think we were sharp,” said Foxcroft coach David Carey, “but I tip my hat to Hermon. They played a great game and did what they had to do to win. We didn’t get the shots to fall, and a few poor decisions hurt us.”

Adam Duplisea led Hermon with 18 points and seven rebounds, including 12 points in the first quarter as the Hawks took a 14-11 lead.

Matt Carey scored 21 points for Foxcroft, while Hall had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

In the first semifinal, senior guard Matt Donar drove the length of the court for the game-winning basket with 24 seconds left as Erskine avenged a loss to Winslow in last year’s regional final.

“I looked up at the clock, saw there wasn’t much time left, and decided to take it strong to the hoop and hopefully get the foul,” said Donar, who scored a team-high 17 points. “I was fortunate to get the foul and make the hoop.”

The win, Erskine’s third of the season over neighboring Winslow, was a clash of contrasting tempos and dueling scoring runs. Erskine forced a faster tempo with fullcourt defensive pressure, forcing 22 Winslow turnovers.

“We had to press them because they’re probably the best halfcourt offensive and defensive team I’ve seen in a long, long time, that’s won they won a state championship last year,” said Erskine coach Tim Bonsant.

Junior forward Josh Jones and senior guard Steve Childs each added 14 points for Erskine, with Jones scoring 12 in the first half and Childs 12 after intermission.

Josh LaPointe, Andrew Sirois and Adam Haskell each scored 11 points for Winslow.

The Eagles outscored the Black Raiders 9-2 over the final 4:25 of the second quarter to take a 27-26 lead on Jones’ follow-up basket with one second left in the half.

Childs then scored 10 of his 14 points during a three-minute span of the third quarter as Erskine scored 12 unanswered points to take a 41-33 advantage.

“I was just feeling it,” said Childs. “The guys were giving me the ball, and I made one from about 30 feet out. They weren’t guarding me on the fast break, so I just spotted up three times in a row. I was feeling it.”

Seventh-seeded Winslow (15-6) countered with 10 straight points, including a 3-pointer by Andrew Sirois that gave the Black Raiders a 43-41 lead with 4:15 left in the game. Winslow still held a 46-43 edge when Erskine scored six straight – four by Donar and a key putback by Childs after a missed free throw – to grab a 49-46 lead with 1:50 to play.

LaPointe tied the game with a 3-pointer 15 seconds later.

EAGLES 51, BLACK RAIDERS 49

Winslow (15-6) Erskine Academy (17-3)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

LaPointe 4 9 0 0 11 Peterson 0 0

Sirois 4 5 1 2 11 Dow 0 0 0

Helberg 2 4 0 0 5 Childs 6 13 14

Sandoval 1 1 0 0 2 Lyford 0 0 0

Carrier 0 0 0 2 0 D. Haskell 1 2

Lopez 2 5 0 2 5 Heath 0 1 0

Millett 0 0 0 0 0 Jones 6 6 14

Poulin 1 3 0 0 2 Leibowitz 1 2

Bourgeois 1 2 0 0 2 K. Haskell 0 2

A. Haskell 4 9 2 4 11 Donar 6 12 17

Totals 19 38 3 10 49 20 44 20 51

Winslow 17 26 36 49

Erskine Academy 15 27 41 51

3-pt. goals ? Winslow (8-16): LaPointe 3-6, Sirois 2-2, Helberg 1-2, A. Haskell 1-2, Lopez 1-4; Erskine Academy (3-15): Childs 2-5, Donar 1-3, Peterson 0-1, D. Haskell 0-6

HAWKS 59, PONIES 51

Hermon (14-6) Foxcroft Academy (17-3)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Cayford 1 3 0 0 2 Robinson 0 0

Adams 3 5 2 2 8 Withee 1 4 3

Keith 4 15 0 2 8 Tirrell 0 0 0

McGown 1 2 2 2 4 Earnest 0 1 0

Duplisea 7 16 2 2 18 LaCasce 0 0 0

Shorey 3 6 0 0 8 Carey 10 17 21

Gould 2 5 6 8 11 Croan 0 0 0

Harding 0 0 0 0 0 Gilbert 3 11 6

Perry 2 7 0 6

Hall 6 12 3 15

Totals 21 52 12 16 59 22 53 51

Hermon 14 23 41 59

Foxcroft Academy 11 25 35 51

3-pt. goals ? Hermon (5-12): Shorey 2-2, Duplisea 2-5, Gould 1-2, Cayford 0-1, Keith 0-2; Foxcroft Academy (3-16): Perry 2-5, Withee 1-3, Robinson 0-1, Earnest 0-1, Gilbert 0-4