BANGOR – From the lack of cheering and the subdued atmosphere in the Central Aroostook locker room after Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class D championship game, you’d have thought the boys from Mars Hill were the losers.

But you would have been wrong.

The second-seeded Central Aroostook Panthers survived sub-par shooting from the field and the line to defeat top-ranked Lee Academy 65-57.

It was that sub-par shooting that led to the long faces and low-key celebration.

“I thought it was a sloppy game,” senior guard Jason Woodworth said. “For a while there, we couldn’t do anything. I didn’t think either team played very well, but who cares? We still won an Eastern Maine championship.”

Indeed, 21-1 Central Aroostook is back in the state game for the first time since 1996. The Panthers will return to the Bangor Auditorium to take on seven-time West champ Valley of Bingham Thursday at 9 p.m.

Their return was made possible by a withering, in-your-jersey defensive effort that alternated between Super Glue man-to-man, full-court, and half-court presses and various traps that kept the Pandas on their heels most of the game.

“Our defense, and our rebounding overall, was the difference in the game, and in particular. Brock Burtt did just a super job on Matt Scott,” said CAHS coach Tim Brewer. “He should be commended for the way he rebounded and played defense against him.”

Burtt, a 6-foot senior center, shadowed the 6-5 Scott and – with a lot of help-side defense and double or triple teams – kept him scoreless until only 13 seconds remained in the game. Burtt (seven points, six rebounds) had fouled out 26 seconds earlier.

Junior guard Andrew York led the Panthers with 20 points and also had six rebounds. Woodworth had 13 points, eight boards, and four assists, while Taylor McLaughlin came off the bench for 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals.

Tom Bird led the Pandas with a game-high 29 points. Scott had two points and 14 rebounds as Lee held a 41-39 edge on the glass overall.

The Pandas had to play catch-up most of the game. Lee never led after going up 3-0 2:35 into the game as the Panthers responded with 13 unanswered points and increased their lead to as much as 14 before Lee mounted a late rally.

“We started out in a 1-2-2 zone because the reports I got were that they were a little uncomfortable against zone defenses,” said coach Randy Harris, whose Pandas finished 15-6. “But bang, we started out down 10 and played them even the rest of the way, so I’ll take as much responsibility for that as anyone.”

Central Aroostook was leading 53-40 with 5:35 to play, but missed two free throws and apparently gave the Pandas the slight opening they were looking for. Lee responded with a 13-4 run over the next four minutes to cut the deficit to 57-53.

A timeout called by Brewer with 1:23 left seemed to settle the Panthers down as they came out much more deliberate, forcing Lee to foul. It also seemed to improve their concentration as they knocked in eight of their final 10 foul shots.

“I thought we regained our composure and we were more patient,” Brewer said. “Then when they did foul us, we finally made our free throws.”

The Panthers finished a respectable 73.8 percent (31-for-42) from the line. Lee was 8-for-16.

PANTHERS 65, PANDAS 57

Cen. Aroostook (21-1) Lee Acad. (15-6)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

C. York 0 0 0 0 0 Thompson 3 8

McLaughlin 2 9 6 10 10 Connick 1 1 2

A. York 4 6 10 14 20 Cowan 1 6 2

Carlson 2 8 1 2 7 A.Coulombe 0 0

Clockedile 0 2 2 2 2 Pickering 3 8

Martinez 3 5 0 0 6 King 1 5 3

Woodworth 3 11 7 8 13 Bird 11 20 29

Burtt 1 6 5 6 7 Worster 0 6 0

Shaw 0 0 0 0 0 Crocker 0 0 0 0

Scott 1 5 0 2

Tripp 1 3 0 3

Houghton 0 1 0

Totals 15 47 31 42 65 Totals 22 61 16 57

Central Aroostook 19 30 47 65

Lee 11 25 36 57

3-pt. goals – CAHS (4-12): A. York 2-4, Carlson 2-4, Martinez 0-1, Woodworth 0-3; Lee (5-17): Thompson 2-4, Bird 2-5, Tripp 1-2, Houghton 0-1, Pickering 0-1, Worster 0-4