The second-seeded Cape Elizabeth boys’ basketball team started fast Thursday night and advanced to the Western Class B final with a 57-39 victory against sixth-seeded Lincoln Academy at the Cross Insurance Arena.
Cape (17-3) will meet No. 4 Lake Region (15-5) at 3:45 p.m. Saturday at the Cross Arena. The Capers are seeking to earn a berth in the state title game for the first time since losing to Camden Hills in 2011.
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Eddie Galvin scored seven of his team-high 13 points in the first quarter as the Capers, after both teams went through early misfires, gained a 15-5 lead.
“I wanted our mentality to be to throw the first punch right from the get-go,” Galvin said.
Both teams wanted to play at a break-neck pace. The balanced Capers handled the tempo better, creating steals and transition opportunities that often were finished with an extra pass.
“That helps us because that’s how we practice every day,” Galvin said. “We’re used to playing fast, so that was kind of good for us. And I think we were able to break their press and get into our offense.”
Cape’s balance showed in the scoring summary. Ethan Murphy and Quinn Hewitt each had nine points. Finn Bowe (two first-half 3s) and point guard Jack O’Rourke each scored six, and four other players scored.
“I just think if you have balance you’re a lot tougher to cover,” Cape Coach Jim Ray said.
For Lincoln (13-7), just getting to the CIA was a big step forward. The Eagles were thumped in the preliminary round a year ago and had not made it to a regional semifinal since 2001, said Coach Ryan Ball.
They were hurt by early foul trouble to Devin Scherer.
With outside shots not falling, the offense consisted mostly of the hard-working Cody Tozier (18 points) competing down low. Brady Leeman added 11 points, most coming on tough finishes after driving to the basket.
“Defensively they had us on the run the whole time,” Ball said. “We couldn’t get set. Didn’t move the ball good enough, didn’t cut well enough. Typically we work inside out and we’re good for five or six 3s in a game, and they prevented that very well.
“We just got beat by a better team tonight.”
Scherer picked up his third foul with 18 seconds left in the first half – an offensive foul as he was passing the ball.
The call wiped out a Lincoln Academy basket.
O’Rourke drained a step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Cape a 32-19 halftime lead.
“That type of play makes the run to the locker room a little bouncier,” Ray said.
“I thought it was a horrible call but that doesn’t matter,” Ball said. “That takes away a basket for us and (a free throw), and they come down and hit a 3, and that really took the wind out of us.”
Cape maxed its lead at 47-24 late in the third quarter.
Lincoln scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter, but the comeback fizzled after baskets by Grady McCormick and Galvin, coming shortly after Ray had delivered a reminder during a timeout.
“‘Don’t forget what got us to this point. The defense has to be played all the time,'” Ray said he told his team.
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