Windham boys basketball has been a roller-coaster ride all year. The season started off with a 41-point loss to Cheverus, it included an overtime win against Bonny Eagle on “pack the gym night” and a home playoff victory against Thornton Academy.

The ups and downs of the seventh-ranked Eagles’ season ended Monday afternoon with a 52-27 loss to Cheverus, the number two seed.

A balanced attack and pressure defense were able to lead the Stags (17-2), while Windham (11-9) relied heavily on a one-man attack.

Cheverus had four players score seven points or better and their defensive intensity bothered Windham’s guards all game long.

Senior center Will Clemmer may have had his most impressive performance in his final high school game. He led the Eagles with 20 points, and he was a defensive presence in the post.

Other scorers for Windham were T.J. Tandberg with six and Collin Atkinson with one.

Clemmer at 6-foot-6 made many of his contributions against 6-foot-11 Paul Robbins, but the Eagles’ big man did not seem to be intimidated by the height disadvantage.

Robbins added his own team-leading 10 points, and his coach, Bob Brown, thought the post play was exceptional.

“It was a real good match-up,” he said. “Clemmer has really improved.”

Early in the game Brown and his team used a press to force turnovers. After gaining an eight point lead half-way through the first quarter, Brown called back the press and only used it sporadically.

Clemmer and his teammates were able to hold Sean Costigan, one of the best all-around players in the state, scoreless until late in the period.

The Stags used their own tough defense to hold Windham to just four points. Costigan and his teammates kept the game locked with an eight point advantage in the first.

“We came out played good defense,” said Eagles junior Raibonne Charles. “Derek (Hanrahan) did a great job on Costigan.”

Cheverus started the second quarter by dishing it in to Robbins who converted a lay-up. After that basket, Robbins and his teammates went on a 5-0 run and increased the lead to 15. A lay-up and a free-throw by Clemmer along with a runner by Tandberg cut the lead to 12. The teams exchanged baskets for the rest of the half and the Stags took a 13-point lead into the intermission.

“We played a lot of man defense in the first half,” said Windham coach Kevin Millington. “We wanted to let (Robbins) beat us and he did. Costigan hurt us a little, but we guarded the other guys well.”

Coming out of the locker room the Eagles picked up their intensity. Clemmer made two lay-ups early and his teammates continued to hustle, but Robbins was able to hit a couple shots in the closing minutes of the third and Cheverus took an 18 point lead.

“The defense we worked on in practice showed,” said Charles. “Will (Clemmer) was able to hold his own in the low post. (Cheverus) just had a couple better players.”

The game stayed at an eight-point difference until the middle of the final quarter. Graham Whitelaw sealed a Stag victory with 5:07 left in the game when he drained a three-pointer from just left of the top of the arc.

Despite Windham being down by 23 with only two minutes left in the game, Kyle MacQuestion dove onto the floor for a loose ball. With the circumstances that play was a selfless play that showed what team was made of.

“Coming in we had hoped to make it an ugly game. It was just too ugly for us,” said Millington. “It is tough to win when only three guys score and you don’t hit a jump shot all night.”

Millington will have to regroup for next season as he will lose nine players to graduation, including four starters and key contributors off the bench.

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