Saturday night was never going to end for Bill Goodman, the McAuley High girls’ basketball coach.

His Lions had just won their second consecutive Western Class A championship, beating Scarborough 61-43, when he was asked about Cony — McAuley’s opponent in Saturday’s state championship game.

Goodman said he didn’t know anything about the Rams yet.

Hadn’t he watched the Eastern Maine games?

No. All the games that were televised from the Augusta Civic Center were on tape, he said, waiting to be viewed.

“I didn’t want to jinx anything,” Goodman said Saturday night. “I figured I’d focus on what we were doing. We focused on Westbrook (in the quarterfinals). We focused on Windham (in the semifinals). We focused on Scarborough. I didn’t want to be thinking about anything else.

“I will not sleep tonight.”

Many of his players did watch the telecasts of Cony’s wins in Augusta and came away impressed. Cony is led by Mia Diplock and Josie Lee.

“They’re good,” said Alexa Coulombe, the talented senior forward heading to Boston College. “They’re all shooters. We’ve got to get out on them. We’ve got to play our game.”

This will be McAuley’s eighth trip to the Class A state championship game, the fourth against Cony.

The Lions won the first title matchup between the two, 67-61 in 2002. But Cony has won the last two: 58-40 in 2005 and 46-41 in 2007.

COULOMBE WON the Edward “Red” McMann Award, given to the outstanding player/sportsperson of the Western Class A tournament, for the second year in a row.

“It’s really nice,” she said. “Actually, the sportsmanship is a big thing for me.”

Her play is pretty big, too. Although Coulombe scored only eight points against Scarborough, she had six assists and displayed the ability to handle the ball against the press and find open teammates on the break.

“She showed why she’s one of the best players in the state,” said Goodman. “She does it all. She rebounds. She brings the ball up. She makes great passes, can score. She does it all, does it all.”

FOR SCARBOROUGH, the disappointment of losing in the regional title game was tempered by the fact that the Red Storm won only six games last year. And they lose only one senior — Carly Rogers.

“I couldn’t ask more of the kids this year,” said Tom Maines, the long-time boys’ basketball coach who was coaching a girls’ team for the first time this winter. “They played well.”

Maines said McAuley’s athleticism and ability to break the press were key factors.

“We did a pretty good job of taking away (the inside game),” he said. “We did not do a good job of taking away the fast break, either off the press or a miss.”

Asked if he would be returning next year, Maines immediately said he would.

“I was bored last winter,” he said. “So why would I want to be bored next winter? This was a wonderful winter. I had fun coaching with my wife (Rita) and really liked the kids.”

LAKE REGION’S girls’ basketball team did almost everything right in a dominating 49-30 win over Greely in the Western Class B championship game Saturday at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Almost.

In the postgame net-cutting ceremony, standout junior guard Sydney Hancock had her left hand cut when someone handed her the scissors. She had the hand wrapped afterward.

“I’m all right,” she said. “Just a little accident. I was just bleeding a little. I’ll be all right.”

THIS WILL BE Lake Region’s sixth trip to the Class B girls’ state championship game.

The Lakers won the state’s first Class B title in 1975, beating Van Buren, 63-55. Van Buren came back in 1977 to beat the Lakers, 62-53.

Then, with Paul True as head coach, Lake Region made three consecutive trips to the state game, losing all three: to Presque Isle in 2006 (48-36), and to Waterville in 2007 (52-51 in overtime) and 2008 (54-35).

The two games against Waterville were played at the Bangor Auditorium, where the Lakers will play Presque Isle at 7 p.m. Friday.

True is looking forward to another trip north.

“I love going to Bangor and I think it’s a great experience for the kids,” he said. “I wish we could take this floor to Bangor. But it’s a great experience.”

When asked about the three previous championship-game losses, True said, “As I’ve told my wife several times, that game is not the defining factor for me. Just the fact that we’re there … we’ve played in five Western Maine finals the last eight years … I’m, just so proud of the kids. We’re going to enjoy every moment of it and we’re looking forward to going to Bangor.”

As for Presque Isle, True said, “An outstanding team and they have great athletes. We’re going to prepare this week and give it our best shot.”

LAKE REGION wasn’t lacking candidates for the Mike DiRenzo Award, given to the outstanding player/sportsman of the Western Class B girls’ tournament.

Senior guard Abby Craffey tied the tournament record with eight 3-pointers and had a couple in the first half Saturday to give the Lakers the momentum. Sophomore center Tiana-Jo Carter blocked everything in close and grabbed over 40 rebounds in the last two games.

It was junior guard Sydney Hancock who won it, with a marvelous performance in the regional championship game. She had 22 points, four assists and four steals.

“It’s such an honor,” said Hancock. “I didn’t see that coming. I feel really proud to have won it.”

She’s the fifth player from Lake Region to win the award, joining Kelley Kimball (1977), Samantha Allen (2006), Elizabeth Leighton (2007) and Renee Nicholas (2008).

WAYNFLETE’S Martha Veroneau finished the Western Class C tournament with 15 3-pointers, two more than the old tournament record for all regions and classes shared by Karen Bailey of Portland (1989), Holli Tapley of Calais (1997) and Cindy Schultz of Valley (2009).

Veroneau’s 47-point outburst in the semifinals against Boothbay not only was a Western Maine tournament record, but it matched the all-state record set by Cindy Blodgett for Lawrence in 1994.

As a team, the Flyers smashed the regional tournament record for 3-pointers with 26, breaking the mark of 23 set by Skowhegan in 2003. The previous Western Maine record for all classes with 18 by Greely in 2010.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

JON AMABILE of Deering was named the winner of the Vinall Trophy as the Western Class A tournament’s top player/sportsman.

In the Class B tournament, Josh Britten of Yarmouth won the Pierre Harnois Trophy.

Amabile is the sixth Deering player to win the Vinall Trophy, joining Ray Lynch (1946), Matt Greenleaf (1992), Walter Phillips (2001), Nik Caner-Medley (2002) and Carlos Strong (2005, 2006).

Britten is the first player from Yarmouth to win the Harnois Trophy.

PAT GREEN, who hit the winning shot for Deering against Bonny Eagle in the regional final Saturday night, said his shot from 3-point range didn’t have as much loft as he wanted, but that it looked good soon after it left his hands.

“I thought he might have back-rimmed it,” said his coach, Dan LeGage.

Green’s shot from the right side swished through just prior to the buzzer to give Deering its first regional title since 2006.

Asked what play Deering wanted to run in the final seconds, LeGage said: “That wasn’t it. We wanted to get it down low for Thiwat Thiwat.”

Deering got the ball back with 29 seconds left after a Bonny Eagle timeout. Ben Malloy had just tied it for the Scots at 42-42 with a 3-pointer.

Deering wound the clock down and Green found himself with the ball deep on the right with about five seconds remaining. He knew he had to go to the basket.

He drove toward the 3-point line, pulled up for the shot and put his name in the history book.

Deering will face Hampden Academy for the third time in a Class A state final when the teams meet at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

The Rams lost to Hampden in 2005 at the Bangor Auditorium, then beat the Broncos in 2006 at the Cumberland Country Civic Center for their only state title.

THE FALMOUTH boys’ basketball team pulled out several close wins during the regular season, and again in the semifinals against York.

Two of those tight games were against Yarmouth, winning by four points and three points, the last one in overtime.

The Yachtsmen, though, ran out of magic against Yarmouth in Saturday’s Western Class B final.

This time, the hill was just too big to climb.

The Clippers came out aggressively and took the play to Falmouth for much of the game.

“We lived on the edge all season,” said Falmouth Coach Dave Halligan.

Getting a career-best performance from Chris Knaub (26 points) and plenty of help from his teammates, the Clippers made good in their second straight trip to the regional final, winning 56-50.

HOCKEY

LOST IN THE SHUFFLE of the regional basketball tournaments was an announcement of the end of the Maine High School Hockey Invitational after 11 years.

In a press release, tournament chairman Gary Prolman said Maine Principals’ Association regulations made it difficult to schedule a safe and competitive tournament.

“Our committee believes that bringing this tournament to the next level (with prep school and junior teams) is more appropriate at this time due to less regulation and our ability to increase the competition level, while promoting a safe and competitive tournament,” said Prolman.

Proceeds from the tournament have funded more than $100,000 in scholarships for hockey players, and $15,000 has been donated to local charities.

— Staff Writers Mike Lowe, Tom Chard and Paul Betit contributed to this report.