AUGUSTA – After losing to Bangor by an average of 32 points in two regular-season meetings this winter, the Mt. Blue Cougars turned to a different tactic in an attempt to upset the top-ranked Rams in Wednesday night’s Eastern Maine Class A boys basketball semifinals.

But the Cougars’ delay game only delayed the inevitable.

Bangor overcame well-executed slowdown tactics by fifth-seeded Mt. Blue of Farmington with hot shooting and suffocating defense to pull away to remain undefeated with a 44-21 victory at the Augusta Civic Center.

“It was frustrating, but we expected it,” said Bangor senior center Ryan Weston. “We came out and wanted to play defense and not give them the open looks they were depending on getting and not turning the ball over like they were depending on us doing.

“We wanted to work the ball and score on every possession and then defend them hard and give them very hard looks, and I think we did that.”

Senior guard Lee Suvlu and senior forward Billy Zolper led Bangor’s offense with 13 points each, with Suvlu scoring 10 in the third period when the Rams broke the contest open en route to their 30th consecutive victory. Weston added six points and seven rebounds, while senior guard Jon McAllian hit two 3-pointers.

The win advances Bangor (20-0) to Friday night’s regional final against No. 2 Edward Little of Auburn, a 57-29 semifinal winner over No. 6 Lawrence of Fairfield. Bangor defeated the 16-4 Red Eddies twice during the regular season, as well as in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championship game.

Mt. Blue finished its season at 13-6.

Coach Jim Bessey’s Cougars used ball control to great advantage early against Bangor, keeping the ball for 7 minutes, 13 seconds of the first quarter while hanging within 4-2. The Cougars did not turn the ball over once in the opening eight minutes while taking just three field-goal attempts.

But gradually Bangor’s defense created more offensive chances, and the Rams also shot 60 percent from the field in the half, including 3-pointers by McAllian and Zolper that helped them take a 14-8 lead at intermission.

Suvlu took over the game in the third quarter, scoring 10 points and dishing out three assists as Bangor stretched its lead to double digits and ensured that Mt. Blue would have to return to more traditional tactics.

“They did a good job of what they were doing,” said Suvlu of Mt. Blue, which had lost to Bangor 65-35 and 82-48 during the regular season. “I’m sure they accomplished what they wanted to do in the first half. We were definitely worried going into the second half, but fortunately we pulled it together.

“I think they eased up a little on what they were doing in the second half, and we managed to take advantage of that in the third quarter.”

Three-pointers by Suvlu and McAllian extended Bangor’s lead to 20-10 early in the third quarter, and Suvlu followed with two jumpers and a three-point play off the miss of his own shot to make it 27-11 with 3:28 left in the period.

And Mt. Blue, while less reluctant to shoot, was unable to get much accomplished against Bangor’s defense, particularly senior forward Adam Bernstein, who limited Cougars’ standout guard Ben Russell to two points on the night.

Mt. Blue shot just 8 of 26 from the field for the game, with junior guard Jamie Sawyer leading the Cougars with 12 points.

“We knew that the worst thing we could do was reach defensively,” said Bangor coach Roger Reed. “You have to work your way through a game like that, maybe more mentally than you do anything else. But the big thing is to refuse to reach and hammer people, and I was pleased with how we handled it.”

eclark@bangordailynews.net

990-8045

RAMS 44, COUGARS 21

Mt. Blue (13-7) Bangor (20-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Gilbert 2 8 1 2 5 R.Lrchlle 1 2

Hoyt 0 0 0 0 0 C.Lrchlle 0 1 0

Trask 0 0 0 0 0 McAllian 2 6

Sawyer 4 8 4 7 12 Zolper 4 6 13

Russell 1 5 0 2 2 Suvlu 5 9 13

Backus 0 1 0 0 0 Bernstein 0 2

Kobischen 1 1 0 0 2 McDade 1 2 2

Simpson 0 2 0 0 0 Martin 0 0 0

Zamboni 0 1 0 0 0 Weston 2 5 6

Malone 0 0 0 0 0

Cormier 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 8 26 5 11 21 Totals 15 28 10 14 44

Mt. Blue 2 8 12 21

Bangor 4 14 29 44

3-pt. goals – Mt. Blue (0-4): Gilbert 0-1, Zamboni 0-1, Russell 0-2; Bangor (4-5): McAllian 2-2, Zolper 1-1, Suvlu 1-2