Efficient 3-point shooting and Griffin Foley’s elusiveness paved the way for Portland to defeat rival Deering 63-44 Tuesday night in a battle of AA North top boys’ basketball teams before a large crowd at the Portland Expo.
Foley led all scorers with 20 points. He repeatedly hurt Deering by getting behind the defense for fast-break layups in transition thanks to long outlet passes.
“I just saw people getting rebounds so I just took off,” Foley said.
Foley also adeptly sliced through the Deering defense and converted a variety of short-range floaters over or around outstretched hands.
“That’s all team effort. Spreading the floor and having people in slots everywhere. That really helped drag out the defense and just created lanes for everyone else to drive it,” Foley said.
Portland improved to 10-1 and should move into second in the Class AA North standings behind unbeaten Edward Little. Deering is 8-3 after splitting a four-game stretch against top AA contenders. The Rams, who did not make a 3-point shot, were 7 of 21 from the floor in the middle two quarters with nine turnovers as Portland stretched a 17-13 first-quarter lead to 50-33 entering the fourth.
“To be 8-3 we’re still right in it to determine our destiny,” said Deering Coach Todd Wing. “I’m not a genius when it comes to the Heal points but with our strength of schedule I think we can still compete for a top-two finish.”
Portland had won its five games since the holiday break by an average of 31.8 points.
“This game we knew we had to come out with a lot of intensity and come out and play basketball like we usually do,” said Portland junior point guard Terion Moss.
Moss scored 16 points, making four of his six 3-point attempts, including his first three. At one point he had nine points on four shots.
“Coach says make the team first and if you have an open look score the ball and that’s what I usually do,” Moss said.
As a team, Portland was 6 of 8 from behind the arc in the first half, forcing Deering to get out of its 2-3 zone.
“Versus Sanford they didn’t make any of their first shots of their possessions,” Wing said. “Of course they come out and splash 3s and we had to get out of (the zone) and it was a little bit deflating.
Deering center Raffaele Salamone scored a team-high 10 points but was frustrated by Charlie Lyall, who had five blocked shots. After the Rams had seven second-chance points in the first quarter, that offensive well dried up thanks to the rebounding of Lyall, Clay Hardy and Trey Ballew, with Moss also helping out.
Six of the Bulldogs’ final seven regular-season games are against teams that entered Tuesday’s action with at least eight wins, starting Friday at Cheverus. Unbeaten Thornton Academy, the AA South league-leader, is at the Expo next Tuesday.
“If we don’t come to play every game we’re going to drop some ones that we shouldn’t,” said Portland Coach Joe Russo. “I don’t think the kids will do that intentionally and that’s my job to keep them up and focused and ready.”
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