PORTLAND — It was like Bonny Eagle turned it on at will. With a hot start and a hot finish, it sure seemed that way.

Getting the bulk of their offense from Dustin Cole and Cole Libby, the Scots overwhelmed South Portland 54-39 in a Western Class A boys’ basketball semifinal Friday night at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Third-seeded Bonny Eagle (17-3) will play top-ranked Deering (17-3) at 9 tonight for the title. Last year the Scots lost to Cheverus in the final.

In their lone regular-season meeting, Deering beat Bonny Eagle 57-55 at Standish on Dec. 30.

The third-seeded Scots (17-3) took a 19-5 first-quarter lead, then suffered through 2-of-25 shooting in the middle periods before outscoring the seventh-seeded Red Riots 24-13 in the fourth.

Cole, the sophomore point guard, scored 19 of his game- high 24 points in the fourth.

“Dustin was frustrated for parts of the game,” said Coach Phil Bourassa. “It’s best to let him loose.”

South Portland crept back in and closed within 30-26 after three quarters behind an 11-3 scoring edge in the quarter.

“South Portland went to a zone and we stood around,” said Bourassa.

But Cole and Libby took over in the fourth. Cole hit a 3-pointer from the top of the circle, then a short jumper. Logan Gaddar scored for the Riots, but Libby followed with another 3-pointer. Cole scored on a drive and Libby hit another basket to make it a 12-2 run and a 42-28 lead.

The Scots hit their first five shots of the fourth and finished 6 of 11 in the quarter.

“We knew we had to pick it up,” said Cole, a first-team All-SMAA pick for a second straight year.

“The third quarter was a little rough,” added Libby. “I felt some of the team let up a little after we got a big lead. We talked about it and got back to our game.”

While the Scots were finding the range in the final quarter, South Portland could manage only 4-of-14 shooting.

“We got back in the game with our rebounding,” said South Portland Coach Phil Conley. “Bonny Eagle got on a run at the start of the fourth quarter and that was the game. Dustin Cole is a first-team league all-star for a reason. It’s a credit to my players how hard they worked to get back into the game.”

Bonny Eagle, which scored the game’s first 11 points, made four 3-pointers in the quarter and led 16-2 before Tanner Hyland of the Riots hit a 3.

After trailing 27-15 at halftime, the Riots scored the first six points and final five of the third quarter to make it a game. Bonny Eagle’s lone basket in the quarter was a 3-pointer by C.J. Autry.

Libby missed an uncontested layup off a nice feed from Cole late in the quarter.

“I don’t know what happened,” Libby said of the play.

But Bonny Eagle quickly regained the momentum in the fourth quarter. Libby added five points in the final quarter, when he and Cole accounted from all the points. Libby finished with 15 points.

Hyland led the Riots with 11 points.

“We have to clean some things up before the final,” said Bourassa.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at:
tchard@pressherald.com
Twitter: TomChardPPH