BOX SCORE

South Portland 48 Falmouth 38

F- 8 10 6 14- 38
SP- 8 7 19 14- 48

F- Hester 6-3-15, Simonds 3-2-9, Graiver 2-0-6, Manganello 1-3-5, Coyne 1-0-3

SP- Baez 5-5-15, Pamba 2-6-12, Carr 3-2-10, Fiorini 1-2-5, Lewis 2-0-4, Bijokta 0-2-2

3-pointers:
F (4) Graiver 2, Coyne, Simonds 1
SP (5) Carr, Pamba 2, Fiorini 1

Turnovers:
F- 23
SP- 13

Free throws
F: 8-11
SP: 17-25

SOUTH PORTLAND—For one half of basketball Friday evening, South Portland’s boys’ team didn’t do many things right.

But in the second half, the Red Riots got their act together and left visiting Falmouth in their wake, going on to earn a critical interclass victory.

Offense was at a premium in a first quarter that ended 8-8.

South Portland got things going a little bit in the second period, taking a 15-10 lead on a jump shot from junior Geremi Baez, but the final eight points of the first half went to the Yachtsmen, who were paced by 6-foot-7-inch senior Nik Hester, who scored the final five points of the frame to produce an 18-15 advantage.

When the second half began, the Red Riots cranked up the defensive intensity behind junior Tyree Bijokta, managed to somewhat neutralize Hester once hobbled senior Scott Lewis returned to the floor, then finally managed to get some offense going, thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from junior Pamba Pamba and five straight points from Baez and when senior David Fiorini hit a 3-ball in the waning seconds, South Portland had a 34-24 lead heading for the fourth quarter.

There, a 3-ball from junior William Graiver pulled Falmouth within four, 40-36, but down the stretch, the Red Riots made enough free throws to end all doubt and they put the finishing touches on a 48-38 victory.

Baez had 15 points, Pamba added a dozen and South Portland improved to 8-5, earned some key Heal Points and in the process, snapped the Yachtsmen’s five-game win streak and dropped them to 11-3 on the year.

“I think if you ask anybody, they’d say Falmouth and Greely are as good as anybody in (Class) AA,” said Red Riots coach Kevin Millington. “It was good to beat both of them. No one has done that, so that’s good.”

Opportunity knocks

Falmouth and South Portland entered the season expecting to be top contenders and as February beckons, the Red Riots and Yachtsmen haven’t disappointed.

South Portland started with a 53-40 loss at Deering, then downed host Cheverus (63-45), visiting Greely, the two-time defending Class A champion which was riding a 46-game win streak (62-55), and host Scarborough, in a regional final rematch (69-54). The Red Riots lost to visiting Thornton Academy (56-52) and Oxford Hills (59-56), then bounced back to edge visiting Sanford (46-45) and host Massabesic (65-36) before falling at Windham, 51-49. After downing visiting Portland (58-48), South Portland took care of visiting Bonny Eagle (58-25) before falling in its last outing, 50-41, at home to Deering last Friday. 

The Yachtsmen, meanwhile opened with wins at Marshwood (58-40) and Scarborough (60-56). Falmouth then downed visiting Brunswick (64-36) and Biddeford (59-16). After losing at Greely, 46-29, the Yachtsmen beat Cape Elizabeth (54-25) and York (58-49) in games played at the Portland Exposition Building during the Red Claws Christmas tournament. After a 54-46 home loss to Kennebunk, Falmouth started a win streak by downing host Mt. Ararat (53-43), then defeated host Westbrook (60-39), visiting Massabesic (51-24), visiting Thornton Academy (51-47) and host Biddeford (60-58).

Last year, South Portland won at Falmouth, 59-53. The Red Riots also won in 2017 (68-60 at home), while the Yachtsmen prevailed in the 2015 Western A semifinals (67-57) and during the 2015-16 season (63-52 at home). 

Friday, South Portland was at its best when it mattered most.

Falmouth won the opening tip, ran more than a minute off the clock, then took the lead when junior Michael Simonds made a jump shot.

Senior Sam Manganello added two free throws before two Baez foul shots got the Red Riots on the board with 5:10 left in the quarter.

After South Portland junior Cade Carr banked home a runner to tie the game, Simonds made a leaner, but Lewis got a hook shot to fall and Baez stole the ball and slammed it home for the Red Riots’ first lead.

Hester’s first points, a layup off a feed from Simonds, forged an 8-8 tie after eight minutes.

Simonds opened the second period with two free throws for a 10-8 lead which held up until 4:26 remained in the half, when Fiorini tied the score with two foul shots, snapping a 5-minute, 2-second drought.

After Carr hit a 3-ball for the lead, Baez made a jumper for a 15-10 South Portland advantage, but the final eight points of the half went to Falmouth, as freshman Brady Coyne sank a 3, Hester converted an old-fashioned three-point play (leaner, foul, free throw) for the lead and with 5 seconds left before the break, Hester made two free throws to give the Yachtsmen an 18-15 halftime advantage.

Hester had seven points, five rebounds and three blocked shots in the first half and Simonds added six points, but 11 Falmouth turnovers kept the Red Riots close.

South Portland would seize control in the third period.

Carr drained a tying 3-ball 15 seconds into the second half.

After a Graiver 3 put the Yachtsmen back on top, Panda made his first shot, a 3, to tie it again, 21-21.

A tip-in by Hester with 5:25 remaining in the quarter gave Falmouth its last lead, but Panda countered with another 3.

Lewis, who suffered an ankle injury in the second period, returned to the game with 4:05 on the clock and after Hester tied the score with a free throw, Baez enjoyed a personal 5-0 run to put South Portland ahead to stay.

Baez first made a free throw, then he got a jumper to rattle home before taking a pass from Bijokta and made a layup.

Lewis then made a fadeaway jumper in the lane.

“(Scott’s return) was huge because we were told at half he was done,” said Millington. “He said he was fine and (athletic trainer) John (Ryan) said he was good to go. When we have all our guys, we’re good. We just don’t have all our guys all the time.”

With 11.5 seconds left, Fiorini made a 3 and the Red Riots went up, 34-24.

In the final stanza, the Yachtsmen attempted one final run, but South Portland wouldn’t buckle.

Hester opened the fourth period with a layup after a pretty drop step, ending the Red Riots’ 10-0 run, then Hester banked home a shot to cut the deficit to six.

With 4:35 on the clock, Lewis fed Baez for a layup, but Simonds drained an NBA-range 3 to make it 36-31.

With 2:24 to go, Panda made two free throws, but Hester countered with a baseline jumper.

After Bijokta made the front end of a one-and-one with 1:31 remaining, then grabbed the rebound after missing the second attempt, he went back to the line and made one of two free throws for a 40-33 lead.

Graiver then pulled Falmouth within four with a 3-pointer, but Baez made one free throw, Pamba hit two, Carr drained a pair, Panda hit two more and after Manganello made a layup, one final Baez foul shot gave South Portland a 48-38 victory.

“I think we just picked it up defensively and we started finding our man much easier and I think we just locked in much more,” said Bijokta. “We couldn’t find our man and they were hitting their shots. The second half, we just wanted it more.”

“(Falmouth’s) really tough when you’re playing five-on-five and they dictate the pace, but we made some shots in the second half,” said Millington. “I thought the game would be in the 30s. (Falmouth’s) awesome defensively and we’re really good defensively and we both had a hard time scoring.”

Baez led the Red Riots with 15 points, nine rebounds and four steals.

“Geremi is the energy guy,” Millington said. “I couldn’t take him off the floor tonight.”

Pamba added 12 points, all coming in the second half. Carr scored 10 points, Fiorini had five, Lewis four (to go with five boards and three blocks) and Bijokta two (to with six rebounds, five steals and five assists).

“I pride myself on defense,” Bijokta said. “Defense wins championships and that’s what we’re going for.”

“Tyree has been rock-solid,” Millington said. “He’s a great leader for us.”

South Portland had a 33-31 rebounding advantage, committed 13 turnovers and made 17 of 25 free throws.

Falmouth was paced by 15 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks from Hester. 

Simonds added nine points (and four assists), Graiver had six, Manganello five and Coyne three.

The Yachtsmen sank 8 of 11 free throws, but were doomed by 23 turnovers.

“We tied the first quarter, won the second quarter and tied the fourth quarter, but the third quarter was 19-6,” said Falmouth coach Dave Halligan. “We had some subs in who made some mistakes and we gave them six open looks. It was just a lack of concentration and effort and (South Portland) did a good job finding their shooters. We were within four with a minute to go, so it’s a learning experience for these guys. We feel bad we lost, but there’s no loser in this game because we played a good opponent and they exposed our weaknesses. We have to do a better job identifying who gets the ball.”

Winding down

Falmouth (now ranked second behind Greely in the Class A South Heal Points standings) is home with Marshwood Tuesday, welcomes Bonny Eagle next Friday, then closes with a home game versus Westbrook and a visit to Kennebunk.

“The key is to keep getting better,” Halligan said. “It doesn’t matter where you go in. You can be first and be in the worst bracket. We can’t control that.”

South Portland (second behind Thornton Academy in Class AA South) has a busy week upcoming, as it goes to Noble for a makeup game Monday, visits defending Class AA champion Edward Little Tuesday, then travels to Gorham Thursday. The Red Riots then close with a game at Portland and a home tilt versus Cheverus.

“I think this sets us up very well in the South,” Bijokta said. “TA lost to (Falmouth) and we lost to TA, so I think it put us right back in the conversation. We just have to lock in and play our game. We know we’re one of the best teams. We can’t let a bad shooting half bring us down.”

“It’s a little bit about seeding, but it’s more about playing better,” Millington said. “We haven’t had many breaks this year and that’s good for us.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

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