GORHAM — Gorham won its fourth straight game, all at home, but for the Rams it wasn’t just another boys’ basketball game.

Gorham Coach Mark Karter spent 21 seasons at Westbrook, the Rams’ opponent Friday night.

“We wanted to get a ‘W’ for Coach,” said center Sam Kilborn.

Gorham put this SMAA game away with a 16-0 run overlapping the first and second quarters. At the end the Rams had a 60-39 victory.

Karter left the Blue Blazes at the end of the 2012-13 season. Last year was his first at Gorham, and lo and behold, Westbrook beat him twice.

Mike Burke, who replaced Karter, was a standout at Gorham. Both of them now teach at Westbrook Junior High.

“I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Westbrook,” said Karter.

Each team needed a victory to enhance its tournament standing. Gorham (7-3) wanted to keep its home streak and momentum going. Westbrook (5-6) was 12th in the Heal point standings entering the game. Twelve teams make the Western Class A tournament.

Gorham’s press keyed the surge. The Rams forced 13 turnovers in the first half.

Nick Thibeault got Gorham off to a great start, scoring his team’s first six points. The Blue Blazes stayed in contact until the turnovers did them in.

One of Gorham’s strengths is depth. It played 13 of its 15 players and as Kilborn said: “We can all score.”

Reserve Trenton Bassingthwaite sparked the early part of the deciding run, scoring five of the first seven points. Billy Ruby finished off the quarter with an off-balance 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer to make it 18-6.

Kilborn and Thibeault took over at the start of the second quarter. Using their size – Kilborn is 6-foot-5 and Thibeault is 6-7 – they controlled the inside for Gorham.

Kilborn hit two from the line. Thibeault then scored inside and added two from the line to make it a 16-0 run.

Sean Jany finally broke Westbrook’s drought with two free throws.

Remember Ruby hitting that basket to end the first quarter? He did it again to end the half, connecting on another 3-pointer at the buzzer to extend the Rams’ lead to 37-18.

“We’re on a little roll at home,” said Kilborn. “We have a lot of confidence in each other. Billy’s 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter really sparked us.”

So, remember the baskets to end the first quarter and then the half? Well, then came the end of the third quarter and …

This time it was a 2-pointer instead of a 3 but yes, Ruby did it again.

“I thought we set the tone in the first half,” Karter said. “Thibeault was outstanding and we worked really hard as a team. We play well when we have several players involved in the offense.”

Burke said the combined eight points scored by Gorham at the end of the first three quarters was tough.

“We’ve had difficulty starting and finishing quarters,” he said.

He also pointed out that Westbrook was 8 of 20 from the line. Gorham was 13 of 14.

“I felt better after this game last year,” said Burke. “We need wins. Every game is a big game for us.”

Thibeault led Gorham with 16 points, including 8 of 8 from the line. Ruby finished with 14 points.

Blake Fillmore led the Blazes with 11 points. Derek Breunig had 10.

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