Gilbert helps Cougars run by Tigers

AUGUSTA – Adam Gilbert led a balanced attack with 14 points as No. 3 Mt. Blue of Farmington topped No. 6 Gardiner 69-48 in an Eastern Maine Class A boys basketball quarterfinal at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday afternoon.

The win advances the Cougars to a regional semifinal Wednesday against No. 2 Bangor, a 66-49 winner over No. 10 Leavitt of Turner Center.

Mt. Blue jumped out to an early lead and cruised to victory past a foul-plagued Gardiner club.

Art Trask added 12 points and Noah Paytas scored 10 for Mt. Blue, while Mike Toothaker and Isaiah Brathwaite chipped in with nine points each.

Sean McNally led Gardiner with 14 points.

Gardiner (12-8) 48

Stilpen 2-2-8, Nivus 1-0-3, Denham, Grant 1-0-2, Temple, McNally 5-3-14, Goodwin 1-5-8, Wright 1-0-3, Fortune, Lavolle 0-2-2, Jak. Coan 1-0-2, Guerrette, Brown 1-4-6, Paradee, Jas. Coan

Mt. Blue (16-3) 69

Trask 4-3-12, Gilbert 2-0-4, Kobinschen, Sawyer 1-3-6, Russell 1-2-5, Farrington, Toothaker 4-0-9, Simpson, Gilbert 5-4-14, Zamboni, Hoyt, Paytas 4-2-10, Brathwaite 3-3-9

3-pt. goals: Stilpen 2, Nivus, McNally, Goodwin, Wright; Trask, Sawyer, Russell, Toothaker

Mt. Blue 20 32 51 69

Gardiner 14 22 32 48

Messalonskee 50, Cony 49

At Augusta Civic Center, Eric Taylor hit a lay-up with 10 seconds remaining to lift No. 5 Messalonskee over No. 4 Cony.

Taylor finished with 15 points and Matt Natole added 13. Orlando Holmes notched 10 points for the Eagles, who advance to take on No. 8 Hampden Academy on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Chris Thurston led the Rams with 15 points. Andrew Pullen added 14 and Brian Lui tallied 10.

Messalonskee (15-5) 50

Berndt, Pelletier 0-1-1, Bernier, Gilbert, Natole 5-2-13, Ouellette 1-0-2, Dubois 3-2-9, Holmes 4-1-10, Taylor 7-1-15

Cony (14-6) 49

B. Lui 2-5-10, Carvilla, O’Neill, DeMerchant 2-0-4, Turner 2-2-6, Thurston 6-3-15, O’Brien, Pullen 6-1-14

3-pt. goals: B. Lui, Pullen; Natole, Dubois, Holmes

Messalonskee 18 32 37 50

Cony 11 25 39 49