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PORTLAND—The Jamier Rose Show delivered a command performance Thursday evening.
Much to the chagrin of the host Deering Rams.
Rose, the standout senior point guard for the Noble boys basketball team, stuffed the stat sheet and reached a career milestone in leading the Knights to an impressive early-season, interclass victory.
Both teams started slowly and the Rams were up by a single point, 9-8, after one quarter, but with 4:45 to go before halftime, a Rose free throw put Noble in front to stay and the Knights held a 27-16 halftime advantage.
Rose then excelled in the third period, scoring 13 points and coming up with six steals in just eight minutes of play, as Noble extended its advantage to 46-31.
With 5:18 left in the game, Rose drove for a layup to reach the 1,000-point mark for his illustrious career.
Deering tried to rally and got as close as 10, but Rose and company wouldn’t be denied as the Knights closed out a 59-47 victory.
If Rose’s career milestone wasn’t impressive enough, his final stat line of 30 points, 13 rebounds, 10 steals and six assists (a triple-double) was truly jaw-dropping as Noble improved to 4-0 on the young season and in the process, dropped the Rams to 1-3.
“Great players step up in big situations and congratulations to him,” said Deering coach Todd Wing. “He’s been a good representative of Noble High School, Maine high school basketball and he plays with class, so it’s easy to be happy for a kid like that.”
Not a thorn to be found
Noble, which has risen from the ashes of a winless season Rose’s freshman year to reach the regional final a year ago, losing to eventual champion Gray-New Gloucester, 71-59, to wind up 16-5, entered the 2024-25 season as one of the favorites in Class A South.
It hasn’t disappointed.
The Knights passed a big test to start the year, downing host South Portland (67-59), then edging visiting Falmouth behind a late basket (54-52) before defeating Kennebunk (67-52).
Deering, widely considered one of the teams to beat in Class AA South, dropped a tough 66-60 overtime decision at Cheverus in its opener, then edged host Westbrook (58-56) before losing in overtime again Tuesday, 56-52, to visiting rival Portland Tuesday.
The squads didn’t meet a year ago and hadn’t played since a 65-48 Rams’ victory back on Feb. 1, 2019.
Thursday, Noble needed a quarter or so to rev up, but once Rose and his teammates starting clicking, Deering wasn’t able to respond.
Noble struck first, as senior Chase Dodier knocked down a 3-ball, but after senior Mogga Yanga made a free throw, the Rams drew even as senior Tavian Lauture stole the ball and set up junior Tayshaun Cleveland for a layup.
After Lauture gave Deering its first lead with a runner, Lauture stole the ball and fed Yanga for a layup to make it 7-3.
Junior Evan Ballard ended the 7-0 run with a free throw, but a putback from junior Corbin Burke with 1:04 to go in the frame gave the Rams what proved to their biggest advantage.
In the final minute, Rose set up junior Brady Tucci on the fastbreak for a layup, then Rose scored his first points, on a layup, to cut the deficit to 9-8 heading to the second period.
The Knights were hindered by eight first quarter turnovers, but they would soon hit their stride.
After Deering senior David Otti scored his first points, on a putback, Rose set up Guitard in transition for a 3 to tie it.
Then, with 4:45 left in the half, Rose sank a free throw and Noble wouldn’t look back.
Senior Andrew Marzoli added a layup, Dodier buried a 3, then Rose fed Ballard for another 3, making it 20-11, forcing Wing to call timeout.
It didn’t help, as Rose added a 3 and while Cleveland answered with a 3-ball with 2:09 on the clock, it only ended a 12-0 run and a 4 minute, 55 second scoring drought.
Ballard scored on a putback and after Cleveland scored on a leaner, a jump shot from Ballard made it 27-16 at the half.
Rose had just six points in the first 16 minutes, but he grabbed eight rebounds, dished out four assists and had three steals.
He then completely took over the game in the third period as the Knights further took control.
Otti began the second half with a layup, but Rose fed Tucci for a 3-ball.
After Lauture hit a 3, Yanga scored on a putback to pull the Rams within seven, 30-23, but Rose converted an old-fashioned three-point play (layup, foul, free throw), then he stole the ball and finished with a layup.
After Otti made a layup after a nice drop step, Ballard scored on a putback and Rose added a free throw.
Otti kept Deering’s hopes alive with a 3, but Rose hit a short jumper, then he made another layup after a steal, hit a contested leaner, then scored again on a layup after a steal.
With 49 seconds to go in the third, senior Evan Legassey converted a three-point play, but the Rams were down, 46-31, heading for the final stanza.
Where Rose reached his milestone.
Senior Justin Jamal began the fourth by setting up Otti for a layup, but Rose made a layup and after junior Michel Butera sank two free throws for Deering, Rose weaved through the entire defense before burying a short jumper.
Legassey hit a foul shot, but with 5:18 on the clock, Rose drove to the hoop as only he can, laid the ball up and in and the basket not only gave Noble a 52-36 lead, it gave the standout 1,000 points for his career.
“It’s surreal,” Rose said. “It doesn’t feel real right now. It feels really special. It was just an energy rush through my body. We came from 0-17 freshman year to turn the program around. To be the first 1,000-point scorer (in the program) in 40 years feels great.”
“Everybody watches the electric plays, but I see a mentally tough kid, who wasn’t always mentally tough, now be a leader for this team,” said Noble coach John Morgan. “He’s had times when he put the program on his back. What a kid he is. Inside and out. On the court and off the court.”
When play resumed, Legassey drove for a leaner, then senior Ronan Wing fed Otti for a layup, but Dodier banked in a 3 to squash any comeback hopes.
After Otti scored on a leaner, Rose drove for a layup.
Otti made a layup with 1:30 to play, then he buried a 3 (from Wing) 18 seconds later, but that only cut the deficit to 10 and after Rose made one of two free throws with 55.5 seconds on the clock, he hit one more eight seconds later and that brought the curtain down on the Knights’ 59-47 victory.
“We weren’t playing bad at the start, our shots just weren’t falling,” said Rose. “Our defense saved us tonight. We held them to (16 points in the first half). We knew our shots would eventually fall and that’s when we pulled away.”
“We’ve had really tough four opening games,” said Morgan. “Two tough ones on the road against what I think are the two best South AA South teams. The guys were taking the right shots. Deering mixed it up defensively. We’ve been guarding really well early and keeping teams within reach, so if we’re not shooting well, we’re only down four or five points, so we know we can hit a run.”
Rose, who is also a star on the gridiron and is under consideration for the Fitzpatrick Trophy as the state’s top senior in that sport, had a tour de force performance, scoring 30 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and adding 10 steals for a rarely-seen triple-double. In fact, if his teammates had knocked down a few more shots, he would have produced a quadruple-double. As it was, Rose finished with six assists. He blocked one shot for good measure.
“The other stats mean the most,” Rose said. “Those are ways I can help my team win.”
“I haven’t talked about a press-breaker in two years because (Jamier’s) a human press-break, a human highlight,” Morgan said. “He gets it done on both ends. He guards the other team’s best player and holds them and then he plays with that motor offensively. He has no problem dishing the ball. If the guys are ready and making plays, it’s even better.”
Ballard also finished in double-digits with 10 points. Dodier had nine points (as well as three assists). Tucci finished with five points, while Guitard added three and Marzoli (four rebounds, two blocks) had two.
Noble had a 36-35 edge on the glass and overcame 23 turnovers and 6-of-12 foul shooting.
Deering’s effort was paced by Otti, who had 20 points and four rebounds.
“David was a matchup that we probably didn’t exploit enough tonight,” Todd Wing said.
Cleveland added seven points, Legassey had six, Lauture (five rebounds, four steals, three assists) and Yanga (seven rebounds, two blocks) five apiece and Burke and Butera two each.
The Rams made 5 of 10 free throws and committed 23 turnovers.
“We got down and we had to change it up and go outside of our element,” Todd Wing said. “Good players take advantage of the other team’s weaknesses and (Jamier) did that really well.
“We have to do a better job executing in the halfcourt. We have pieces there, but we haven’t put it together as a unit yet. If that comes, we’ll be very good. If it doesn’t, we’ll be mediocre. Guys have to make each other better. That’s what it’s about. On an off-scoring night, you have to figure out how to make other people better.”
Quick turnaround
Noble stays on the road and goes to Fryeburg Academy Saturday.
The Knights are going to be fun to watch throughout and have a great shot to make a deep tournament run in Class A South.
“We just have go 1-0 every day,” Rose said. “That’s been our motto all season. We’ve been through it. We started off at the bottom and now we just have to close it out.”
“I feel like we can still play better, but the guys are playing tough basketball right now,” Morgan said. “We talk about getting better each day. Taking each game at a time. We’re learning from last year. We’re more prepared.”
Deering, meanwhile, has another huge home test Saturday when Falmouth pays a visit.
“We don’t have too long to sit around and cry,” Todd Wing said. “Falmouth’s a top team. They’re so well-coached. They’ll be ready for us. It’s an opportunity come back and make a statement.”
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