PORTLAND – The Deering boys’ basketball team had a simple game plan for its Western Class A quarterfinal Saturday night. Contain Thornton Academy’s perimeter game and let its own game flow from there.
The plan worked.
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The sixth-seeded Rams upset third-ranked Thornton Academy 41-33 at the Portland Expo.
Deering (11-8) will face second-seeded Bonny Eagle (16-3) in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Cumberland County Civic Center.
The Rams had to focus on stopping Andrew Shaw, one of the region’s top 3-point shooters.
“We had to stop penetration, and then we had to double up on Shaw because he’s a great shooter,” Deering guard Jon Amabile said.
“He picked up his dribble but we had to get on him and make sure he couldn’t get a shot off. Don’t let him get in the paint and dish it down, and we stopped that.”
Amabile scored a game-high 20 points and the Rams held the Trojans (15-4) to two successful 3-pointers, one by Justin Pollard in the first quarter and one by Shaw in the second, and the Trojans finished 2 of 17 from beyond the arc.
“They came out with a great game plan and my hat’s off to them,” Shaw said.
Playing a man-to-man defense, Deering broke a 9-9 tie at the start of the second quarter on Jamie Ross’ shot and took a 13-9 lead in the first two minutes of the period.
But the Trojans remained within at least three points through the course of the quarter.
Thornton cut the lead to 17-16 with 1:32 left in the half on a Pollard shot, and to 19-18 on Corbett Smith’s shot in the final minute.
But Shaw’s layup at the buzzer hit the rim and fell out as time expired, preserving Deering’s halftime lead.
Ahead 31-26 going into the fourth, the Rams maintained at least a three-point lead despite hitting only two shots from the floor.
Deering finished 6 of 7 on free throws in the fourth, with Amabile hitting 4 for 5.
Maintaining that lead, Amabile said, took two things.
“Defense,” Amabile said. “And execute. Everyone got pumped up and we wanted to win more than anything. We stayed focused.”
Pollard (11 points) scored six of Thornton’s seven points in the fourth period, cutting Deering’s lead from 33-26 to 33-30 on a pair of buckets with 6:17 left.
But the Trojans finished 3 of 11 from the floor and 1 of 4 on free throws despite entering the bonus for the final four minutes.
“We just tried to keep going inside,” said Shaw, who finished with 10 points. “Make sure we get good ones and not try to give up shots.
But, he added, “They took care of the ball. They didn’t commit turnovers and we couldn’t force any turnovers and they kept up that five-point lead. They maintained it and took care of the ball and didn’t have any turnovers.”
Staff Writer Rachel Lenzi can be reached at 791-6415 or at:
rlenzi@pressherald.com
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