PORTLAND – The deliberate pace of its rematch with Deering of Portland in Saturday’s Class A boys basketball state championship game was just as Hampden Academy desired.

Only the result wasn’t.

Deering, still smarting from a loss to the Broncos in the 2005 final, beat Hampden at its own game for a 47-37 victory and the first gold ball in the program’s history at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

“We wanted to go up and down the court real fast, but it didn’t end up happening,” said Deering senior center Martin Cleveland, who had 10 points and 15 rebounds and played a key defensive role guarding 6-foot-10 Hampden center Jordan Cook. “We just had to make sure we were crisp with our offense and play hard D, and stay together and play focused.”

This game quickly evolved into the halfcourt battle that served Hampden well in last year’s 59-49 win, but this time the Broncos didn’t hit their shots. Hampden shot 10 of 37 from the field (27 percent).

“We did exactly what we wanted to do,” said Hampden coach Russ Bartlett. “The pace was what we wanted, we rebounded the ball pretty well and didn’t give them many second-chance opportunities. I told the kids we dictated the tempo, we just had to make shots and we didn’t.”

Cleveland, hampered by foul trouble while Cook was breaking loose for 23 points and 11 rebounds a year ago, was able to muscle the Hampden star away from the basket in the return match. Cook finished with 11 points on 2 of 13 shooting from the field.

“I watched a lot of film and knew what he was going to do so hopefully I could be there before he did it,” Cleveland said. “My whole game plan to stay on him, don’t give him good looks and play physical with him.”

“He played tough defense and had good help so I didn’t have that many looks,” added Cook, who also was fronted by at least one and often two other defenders. “When I did I didn’t knock them all down. Other guys were knocking down shots in the first half, but in the second half we couldn’t pull it together.”

Hampden’s defensive plan involved trying to contain Deering senior Carlos Strong, and led by junior forward Evan Farley the Broncos were fairly successful. Strong had a rough first half, shooting 1 for 6 from the field and drawing three fouls, but the Boston University-bound guard scored seven of his nine points late in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer that gave the Rams a 34-31 lead entering the final period.

Then Joseph Nguany and Tim Miller took over. Nguany opened the fourth with a jumper, then Miller had a layup, a jumper and two steals to highlight a 12-2 run that gave Deering a 41-33 lead with 4:32 left.

Hampden (18-4) managed just one more field goal the rest of the way, a follow-up shot by senior forward Max Silver to cut the gap to 43-37 with a minute left.

But Nguany, who scored a game-high 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting, made two free throws and a layup in the final 31 seconds, and a 21-1 Deering team featuring nine seniors had erased a year of bad memories.

“I’ve been waiting for this all my life,” said Nguany, a senior who transferred to Deering this year from Cheverus of Portland. “Winning it with two of my best friends [Strong and Cleveland] and with nine seniors graduating this year, and with everybody doubting us and saying we weren’t going to get it because we wouldn’t work as a team, this is great.”

While Deering keyed on the University of Maine-bound Cook, Hampden senior guard J Uhrin scored 10 of his 13 points in the first quarter. Uhrin hit two 3-pointers and took a steal in for a layup to spark a 10-0 run that erased a 7-2 deficit and gave the Broncos a 12-7 lead at the end of the period.

Cleveland had eight points and seven rebounds in the second quarter as Deering rallied within 20-17 by intermission.

Miller opened the third quarter with a game-tying 3-pointer, but Hampden regained a five-point lead at 29-24 on a three-point play by Uhrin before Nguany converted a baseline drive and a 3-pointer to re-tie the game and begin turning the game’s momentum.

RAMS 47, BRONCOS 37

Hampden (18-4) Deering (21-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Uhrin 5 13 1 1 13 Plourd 1 4 3

Schaeffer 0 0 0 0 0 Lelansky 0 0

Farley 1 3 0 0 3 Strong 4 9 9

McCue 0 3 4 4 4 Miller 3 5 8

Hodgdon 0 1 2 2 2 Hansen 0 0 0

Silver 2 4 0 0 4 Nguany 7 11 17

Cook 2 13 7 10 11 Clevelnd 3 5 10

Dewever 0 0 0 0

Totals 10 37 14 17 37 Totals 18 39 47

Hampden 12 20 31 37

Deering 7 17 34 47

3-pt. goals – Hampden (3-11): Uhrin 2-5, Farley 1-2, Hodgdon 0-1, McCue 0-3; Deering (4-14): Miller 1-1, Plourd 1-2, Strong 1-3, Nguany 1-3, Lelansky 0-5

Attendance: 3,685