PORTLAND — The Portland boys basketball team pushed past the visiting Massabesic squad 71-57 thanks to a heavy offensive attack Tuesday evening.

Portland’s leading scorers were Terion Moss with 24 points and Amir Moss with 18.

Massabesic was led by Tyrus Sprague-Ripley with 21 points while both Weston Bergeron and Ryan Gullikson scored 19.

The Mustangs jumped on the Bulldogs early, going on a 9-0 run in the first four minutes of action, as Portland had no answer to Massabesic’s transition game.

It was not until the 3:49 mark that Griffin Foley hit a 2- point jump shot for the Bulldogs, putting Portland on the board.

The Bulldogs then took control of the quarter, finishing on an 11-4 run and tying the score heading into the second.

Terion and Amir Moss took control of the second quarter for Portland, combining for 13 points as the Bulldogs outscored the Mustangs 19-11 and entered the half up 32-24.

Sprague-Ripley came out hot to start the second half, scoring five straight points for the Mustangs and keeping Portland in check.

Both teams grinded offensively and defensively in the third quarter, with Massabesic outscoring Portland by just one point.

Sprague-Ripley continued to work the paint for Massabesic and pulled the Mustangs within five points early in the fourth.

However, thanks to a 9-0 run midway through the fourth, Portland managed to gain a strong grasp of the momentum as the minutes waned.

Although Portland gained control of the game, the Massabesic seniors continued to battle and never let the game get out of hand, coming within six points late in the fourth.

Gullikson made many impressive plays as he played aggressive defense and fast offensively, with one defensive play sending him in the stands as he chased down a loose ball.

Massabesic coach Chris Binette was proud of Gullikson’s determination in the final quarter.

“He plays with a lot of heart. He’s a beast. He really is a coach’s dream,” said Binette.

Another factor in the game was the short game, with neither team scoring a single 3-pointer.

Binette did not feel that this lack of long-distance shooting was an issue for his team.

“We don’t shoot from beyond the arc much. We just try to get to the rim and play the inside, that’s our game,” said Binette.

Despite his team’s fight throughout the game, Binette was disappointed with his team’s lack of execution, which is what he felt was the difference Tuesday night.

“We didn’t execute. In the first we came out and executed like we were supposed to, but then it stopped,” said Binette. “We lost today because we just didn’t execute.”

— Sports Staff Writer Alex Sponseller can be reached at sports@journaltribune.com or at 282- 1535 ext. 323. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.