SOUTH PORTLAND — Nearly 10 months later there was still little to choose between Class AA rivals Portland and South Portland.

In the season opener for both teams Portland defeated South Portland 61-54 on Friday night, with the lead changing hands four times in the fourth quarter.

The game was a rematch of last season’s state final, as North champion Portland beat surprise South regional winner South Portland 52-50 in double overtime at a packed Cross Insurance Arena.

No titles were decided Friday at Beal Gymnasium but the win was still significant, said Portland Coach Joe Russo.

“The importance of this win was that it was over here (in South Portland). It was a big game right out of the gate and when we got down to the end with foul trouble everybody had to step up and it was nice to see that,” Russo said.

Portland point guard Terion Moss scored 15 points in the first half to stake the Bulldogs to a 30-23 halftime lead. But Moss was called for charging twice in the third quarter and sat down with four fouls with 3:01 left in the third – just after South Portland cut the lead to one, 34-33, behind the long-range shooting of Noah Malone (22 points, six 3-pointers).

“When I picked up my fourth foul I was kind of mad but I knew we had Pedro (Fonseco) and he’s a good player and we have a good bench so I had trust in my team,” Moss said.

Fonseco, who played every position but center, promptly responded with a 3-point basket and then both Manny Yugu and Griffin Foley converted 3-point plays to keep Portland ahead 43-36 after three quarters.

“I just felt like I had to pass the ball and get into some gaps and shoot the ball more,” Fonseco said.

While Portland was converting, South Portland missed two free throws and had several empty trips.

“Well yeah, they’re down a really great player with Moss on the bench but it’s not that easy,” South Portland Coach Kevin Millington said. “Those other five guys out there, at least defensively, are really good.”

South Portland came back again in the fourth quarter and took the lead twice after Moss had returned to the court.

It was Yugu who went hard to the basket for what turned out to be the winning points, putting Portland up 55-54 with 1:10 left.

“I just wanted to try to stay aggressive. That’s what Coach told me to do,” Yugu said.

A shot by South Portland’s Ruay Bol (14 points) rolled off the rim and Moss, who stands 5-foot-8, skied for the game’s most important rebound. That set up two free throws for Charlie Lyall. He rolled in the first and swished the second to give Portland some breathing room.

Moss closed the win with four straight free throws. Portland made 11 of 14 from the line. South Portland was 4 of 10.

“We left a lot of points out there, a lot of missed free throws and layups,” Millington said.

In the first half, Moss showed his full range, getting loose for leak-out fast breaks, dribble driving and finishing at the rim with finger rolls and little flicks, and sinking open jumpers.

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