BANGOR – Waterville had precious few close games during the course of an undefeated regular season.

The youthful Panthers were pushed to the brink Wednesday by Mattanawcook Academy, but held up under pressure.

Michelle Paul’s desperation 3-point try missed with one second left as No. 1 Waterville held on for a 57-55 Eastern Maine Class B girls semifinal basketball victory at the Bangor Auditorium.

The Panthers (19-0) face No. 2 John Bapst of Bangor (17-2) in Saturday’s 2:05 p.m. regional championship game.

Fourth seed Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln closed out the season at 17-4.

“It was a little bit too exciting,” said sophomore center Morgan Frame, who led the Panthers with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. “We had one [like that] against Belfast and that was our only close game.”

Waterville repelled repeated second-half challenges by the relentless Lynx. Sarah Given made both ends of a one-and-one with 15 seconds left to give the Panthers a 57-52 advantage.

Given scored 19 points, including 8-for-10 free-throw shooting, and made four steals.

“Our guards, I thought, stepped up and did a wonderful job hitting free throws and hitting big jump shots down the stretch,” said Waterville coach Ted Rioux.

Paul made sure the game went to the wire. The junior guard nailed her Class B record-tying sixth 3 of the game with five seconds left to keep Mattanawcook within two.

“She kind of kept us in the game,” said MA coach Brian McDormand. “We kept climbing back.”

The Lynx got the ball back after a Waterville timeout as the inbounds pass deflected off a Panther with one second left. Paul got open along the left sideline, but couldn’t connect.

“That ball goes up and you’re just watching that thing and you’re kind of looking at the rim and going, ‘OK, is it long? Please be long,'” Rioux said.

Stephanie Whitten added nine points and six assists for Waterville.

Paul paced the Lynx with 20 points and seven rebounds. Brooke Hanscom tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Brianna Hanscom posted 10 points and four assists.

Both teams struggled at the foul line, but MA missed six of eight in the second half while Waterville made six of nine.

“I think free throws hurt us today,” McDormand said.

Waterville built a 13-point, first-half lead, working its efficient half-court offense around the 5-foot-11 Frame. The Panthers also successfully negotiated MA’s full-court pressure and scored in transition.

“We pressed them full-court, that’s our game,” McDormand said. “They beat us at that and we had to readjust.”

Brooke Hanscom scored twice during a 7-0 run late in the third that got MA back in it.

PANTHERS 57, LYNX 55

Mattanawcook (17-4) Waterville (19-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Paul 7 19 1 2 21 Gardiner 2 6 5

Bro.Hnscm 6 10 1 2 13 Ste.Whittn 4 9

Bri.Hnscm 4 10 1 6 10 M. Frame 10 18 0 3 20

Nicastro 0 0 0 0 0 Bell 0 6 0

Anderson 0 0 0 0 0 Given 4 9 10 19

Piche 1 5 0 0 2 Nale 1 2 2

Libbey 1 3 0 0 3 Smith 0 0 2

Hawkins 1 1 0 0 2 Sta.Whittn 0 0

Burleigh 1 2 0 0 2

Nesin 1 2 0 0 2

Totals 22 52 3 10 55 Totals 21 46 11 23 57

Mattanawcook 12 28 39 55

Waterville 22 36 43 57

3-pt. goals – Mattanawcook (8-22): Piche 0-2, Paul 6-13, Libbey 1-2, Bri. Hanscom 1-5; Waterville (4-10): Gardiner 1-2, Bell 0-3, Given 3-5