SANFORD — For the first time all season the defending Class A State Champion Deering Rams were challenged, as the Sanford boys basketball team stood toe-to-toe with the undefeated Rams. The Spartans’ upset bid ran out of steam, but they kept it close in a 47-39 loss at Memorial Gymnasium on Thursday night.
The Spartans held a 5-2 lead early in the game thanks to an Alex Shain layup and a three-pointer from Evyn Nolette. The Rams then gained the lead, and never relinquished it.
Sanford trailed 12-9 late in the first quarter before Deering’s Dominic Lauture hit a long three-pointer with three seconds left. Lauture then scored two quick baskets to start the second quarter, pushing the Deering lead to 19-9.
The Spartans went on a scoring drought that last over four minutes to book-end the first and second quarters, until Shain scored on a layup off of a turnover. Sanford then finished the half strong, as Josh Schroder’s layup and John Morgan’s three-pointer in the last 35 seconds cut the Deering lead to 27-19 at the break.
Sanford kept their momentum going to start the second half, as Ryan Camire broke out of a first half slump. The Spartans’ leading scorer scored five points in the first 1:15 of the half to help cut the deficit to 27-25.
The deficit stayed at two points at the end of the third quarter, as Malik Romero put back a Camire three-point attempt at the buzzer.
“We had them on the run,” said Camire. “But again they’re a good team, and they found a way to win.”
And it was Lauture in particular who took over. The crafty guard stole the ball off the inbounds pass to start the fourth quarter, and turned it into an easy layup.
“In order to play against a team like Deering, you can’t afford to turn the ball over,” said Sanford head coach Paul Nolette, alluding to a problem that the Spartans had the entire game.
Deering opened the quarter on a 10-0 run, including eight points in the first 1:08, but Sanford answered with six straight points of their own.
“I thought many times during the game we could have folded, (but) the boys are tough. We responded,” said Nolette.
The Spartans got within striking distance, but couldn’t close the gap, which Shain said has been their Achilles heel.
“I feel like we know we can compete. Our problem is we really don’t have the experience finishing,” said Shain.
Camire led the Spartans with a game-high 14 points, which was a season low for the SMAA’s leading returning scorer.
The Spartans fell to 2-3 with the loss, but the three losses have come against Deering, Bonny Eagle, and Portland, which are arguably the three best teams in the conference.
Still, Camire said they don’t mind facing the tough teams.
“It’s a good test, a good measuring stick to see where we’re at,” he said.
—Contact Wil Kramlich at 282-1535, Ext. 323 or follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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