LISBON HIGH SCHOOL’S Amanda Mason (5) gets the ball from Tanton Mattson, while Brunswick’s John Johnson tries to get in front. The Greyhounds took the 34-32 victory on Tuesday to advance to the Unified State Championship at Lewiston High School on Thursday.
In the initial meeting between Brunswick and Lisbon in the first Unified basketball season, the Dragons left Lisbon Falls with a hard-fought overtime win.
OWEN GINTY (12) goes in for a lay-up during the Brunswick versus Lisbon Regional final game on Tuesday. The Greyhounds captured the 34-32 victory to advance to the state championship at Lewiston High School on Thursday.
Tied at 32, Ryley Austin, who picked up seven rebounds, dished out five assists and grabbed three steals, put home an offensive board with one minute remaining in regulation for the game’s final points. Lisbon had to survive the tough Dragons from there as top-seeded Brunswick had four chances to tie.
The Greyhounds (8-3) will face East Regional winner Hampden Academy on Thursday at Lewiston High School for the state championship.
“These kids have worked hard all season and have never given up,” said Austin. “No matter who is on the court, they never give up. This is up there because playing with these kids is great. We are just trying to win it for them, and do whatever we can.”
“This was the best-played game right here,” said Lisbon coach Terri Tlumac. “We could play each other 10 more times and it would come down to that last shot. Brunswick is a great team.”
The loss was the only one for the Dragons, who finished 9-1.
“This season was definitely a blast,” said Brunswick coach Chris Baribeau. “The high-fives in the cafeteria, in the hallway. To see them come together on the court and in school is something I will always remember.”
Slow start
Neither team shot the ball well in the opening quarter. Brunswick took an early 2-0 lead on an Andrew Duross putback, but Lisbon, behind six consecutive points from Jake Patenaude, grabbed a 6-2 lead.
“I had my game on in the first quarter,” said Patenaude.
Brunswick climbed to within 6-4 after eight minutes when Tad Hugo swished a short jumper, and the teams produced three ties in the second quarter, the last a 10-10 deadlock with 1:18 remaining until halftime.
From there, the Dragons found their flow, putting up six more points before the break for a 16-10 halftime lead. Owen Ginty scored four points in the closing seconds for Brunswick, tying Duross for the teamhigh at the intermission.
The Austin to Robert Wood connection that has worked all season for the Greyhounds took over in the third quarter. Wood scored 10 of his game-high 14 points in the frame, with Lisbon grabbing a 26-24 advantage heading to the final frame.
The fourth quarter featured a back-and-forth affair, with four more ties. Brunswick’s Jackson Gordon, who pulled down a game-high high 21 rebounds, tied the game at 28, and Alex Larson answered a Wood bucket with one of his own for a 30-30 deadlock. A pair of free throws by Ginty, who matched Larson with a Brunswick team-best eight points, swished a pair of free throws for a 32-30 Dragons lead with 5:07 remaining.
But, that was the final points for the hosts, who missed their final 12 shots. Lisbon’s Brandon Bartlett tied the game with 3:31 remaining, setting up Austin’s winning bucket.
“Robert put up the shot, and I just tried to get it near the hoop, figuring Robert would finish it off, but it went in,” said Austin, who had four points.
“Ryley was all over the floor,” said Tlumac, who also praised helpers Nathan Havlicek (eight rebounds, two steals) and Molly Nicholson. “They did their job. This probably means more to them than I will ever know as a coach. They will remember this for a very long time.”
For Brunswick, its only loss put an end to its season. But, Baribeau was proud of his team’s performance.
“Sportsmanship is what it’s all about in Unified,” said the Brunswick coach. “In the playoffs, it is a different beast. We were here to have fun and celebrate both teams. It is basketball and we were here to enjoy the sport and make new friendships.
“We had a heck of a season, with this our first loss, with some very close games. We earned home court and it was very good basketball. It was great that they scheduled the season between the winter and spring seasons.”
Patenaude finished with eight points for Lisbon, while Brock Vachon chipped in six. Duross picked up six points for the Dragons, while Laurentz Locke added four points. Cam Glover dished out six assists.
No. 2 Lisbon 34, No. 1 Brunswick 32
West Unified Basketball
Regional Final
At Brunswick
| Lisbon | — | 6 | 4 | 16 | 8 | — | 34 |
| Brunswick | —4 | 12 | 8 | 8 | — | 32 |
Lisbon — Amanda Mason 0-0-0, Tanton Mattson 0-0-0, Ryley Austin 2-0-4, Brandon Bartlett 1-0-2, Robert Wood 7-0-14, Ethan Vachon 0-0-0, Jake Patenaude 4-0-8, Brock Vachon 3-0-6, Nathan Havlicek 0-0-0, Richie Thuotte 0-0-0, Molly Nicholson 0-0- 0, Devin Libby 0-0-0. Totals — 17-0- 34.
Brunswick — Andrew Duross 3-0-6, Alex Larson 4-0-8, Catlyn Almodivar 0-0-0, John Johnson 0-0-0, Jackson Gordon 1-0-2, Ketty Stinson 0-0-0, Cam Glover 0-0-0, Justin Faulkner 0- 0-0, Tad Hugo 1-0-2, Jenni Hathaway 0-0-0, Tim Humphrey 0-0-0, Laurentz Locke 2-0-4, Neil Murphy 1-0-2, Owen Ginty 2-4-8. Totals — 14-4-32.
Records — Lisbon 8-3, Brunswick 9- 1.
Up next — The Greyhounds face East Regional winner Hampden Academy on Thursday in the Unified State Championship at Lewiston High School. Tentative start time is 4 p.m.
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