The Bonny Eagle boys’ basketball team has been undersized in most of its games this season. With only one senior starter, the Scots also have one of the youngest teams in the Southern Maine Activities Association.

Yet here they are preparing for another Western Class A semifinal Friday night at the Civic Center.

Third-seeded Bonny Eagle plays No. 7 South Portland in the night’s second semifinal at 7:30 p.m.

Consistency has been a hallmark for Bonny Eagle, which has posted back-to-back 15-3 regular seasons. A year ago, the Scots went into the tournament as the No. 2 seed and reached the regional final before losing to Cheverus.

Bonny Eagle beat sixth-seeded Marshwood 61-40 in the quarterfinals on Saturday night, improving on its one-point win over the Hawks at South Berwick during the regular season. The Scots’ biggest win this season was over Cheverus. They lost to Portland, Deering and a hot-shooting Biddeford team.

In most of their wins, the Scots usually had two players carry the offense, with others in supporting roles. The victory over Marshwood was different.

“It was our best team win of the season,” said Coach Phil Bourassa. “Everyone contributed.”

Having over a week’s rest from their last regular game to the quarterfinals was beneficial. The Scots played with lot of energy.

“The kids had plenty of time to rest up their bumps and bruises,” said Bourassa. “We were able to watch plenty of film.”

A lot of teams like to scrimmage with other tournament teams, often in a different class, in the week before the postseason. Bonny Eagle elected to have regular practices, feeling it could get more accomplished. The decision seemed to pay off in the quarterfinals.

“If Marshwood had made a few more shots earlier, it might have been a different story. They looked real tough in their prelim win over Sanford,” said Bourassa.

While his team played well, Bourassa feels it can play better.

“I don’t really think we’ve put together our best offensive performance yet. The guys are starting to learn their roles better. It’s been a maturation process,” he said.

The SMAA all-stars were recently announced, and the Scots had two first-team selections — Cole Libby and Dustin Cole — the most of any team. They also had the league’s rookie of the year in freshman Ben Malloy.

“I feel all three are very deserving,” said Bourassa.

While Bonny Eagle’s offense was impressive in the quarterfinals, it’s the defense that sets the tone.

“It’s our most important piece,” said Libby. “We rely on that. The biggest improvement since the start of the season has been our communication. We’re more vocal.”

On offense, Libby said the team is sharing the ball.

“We’re getting everyone involved,” he said.

Libby and Cole, the sophomore point guard, were the two starters returning from last season. Junior forwards C.J. Autry and Jon Thomas are starters who have worked hard to find a niche.

Evan Amell, a rugged 6-foot-2 senior, is the sixth man and a force on the boards, which the Scots vitally need. Autry scored 15 points and hit two 3-pointers against Marshwood.

Cole, who burst onto the varsity scene as a freshman last season, and Libby are the team’s top two scorers. But Bonny Eagle’s hopes of winning its first regional title since 1995 may depend on the role players.

“All teams in the semifinals are even,” said Libby. “Any one of us could win it.”

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH