BANGOR – With a shot at a first-time-in-who-knows-how-long win over perennial power Central Aroostook finally in sight, Jeff Blackstone got a rare tournament gift Thursday afternoon.

He got a second chance.

Blackstone, an Easton High junior, tied the game at 66-all with 3.2 seconds to play, watched helplessly as his second attempt clanged off the rim, and turned gratefully when an official’s whistle blew.

The call: Disconcertion. The definition: A CAHS player standing on the lane was creating a disturbance (waving his arms). The penalty: Another shot.

And the result: Blackstone’s 18th point of the game and a 67-66 Eastern Maine Class D semifinal upset over the second-seeded Panthers.

The No. 6 Bears face the winner of Thursday’s Jonesport-Beals vs. Katahdin semifinal for the Eastern Maine championship Saturday at approximately 11:05 a.m.

“I realized right off the bat that [the second shot] wasn’t in,” Blackstone said. “It slipped off my fingers a little bit.

“It felt great that I had a second chance to do that.”

What felt great for Blackstone felt pretty sour for the Panthers from Mars Hill, who watched as Shane Bradstreet’s last-second heave skimmed the front rim.

“I’m really trying to choose my words correctly,” disappointed CAHS coach Mark Baxter said.

“You always hear how you do not want an official to decide a game. If we’re going to call disconcertion in the fourth quarter with three seconds left in a tie ballgame, I feel as though we should probably call it in the first quarter, ahead by five or down by five.”

The Bears earned the win by shredding the potent Panther press (CAHS forced two turnovers with it) and a 53 percent shooting day.

Derek Carlow added 18 points for Easton while Matt Osgood scored 15. Guard Marcel Chalou pulled down nine rebounds and said the press wasn’t a concern.

“Put the ball in [point guard Matt] Hopkins’ hands and let him go from there, because he’s an animal and there’s not a person in the Class D league who can stop him,” Chalou said.

Craig Allen scored 22 points, Jordan Codrey had 14, Lance Bradstreet had 13 and Shane Bradstreet 10 for CAHS.

Bears 67, Panthers 66

Easton boys (14-6) Central Aroostook (16-4)

Name G AG F AF TP Name G AG F AF TP

Hopkins 4 10 0 1 8 S. Bradstreet 3 9 3 6 10

Chalou 1 5 0 0 2 Durost 0 6 0 0 0

Osgood 7 9 1 2 15 L. Bradstreet 4 8 5 6 13

Carlow 5 12 4 5 18 Allen 10 18 0 0 22

Lamoreau 3 4 0 0 6 Simonson 1 2 0 0 2

Blackstone 7 10 4 5 18 Woodworth 2 7 0 0 5

Cyr 0 1 0 0 0 J. Codrey 6 8 2 2 14

Totals 27 51 9 13 67 Totals 26 58 10 14 66

Easton 12 35 52 67

Central Aroostook 21 31 47 66

3-pt. goals: Easton (4-9): Hopkins 0-2, Carlow 4-6, Blackstone 0-1; Central Aroostook (4-15): S. Bradstreet 1-3, Durost 0-3, Allen 2-5, Woodworth 1-4