BRUNSWICK

The similarities between the Biddeford and Brunswick boys basketball teams were there coming into Thursday’s key Class A South matchup.

Both the Tigers and Dragons entered with 11 wins, both are primed to make the postseason, and, yes, Biddeford and Brunswick’s black and orange team colors are mirror images of each other.

On the court, at least for now, Biddeford is the better team after a 67-58 win. The Tigers (12-3) currently reside as the No. 2 team in the Heal Point Standings, while the 11-5 Dragons are seeded seventh. If the seeds hold, Brunswick will meet Biddeford in a quarterfinal at the Portland Expo on Feb. 17.

“How unlucky are we to be a two seed and have to play an 11-win team like Brunswick in the quarters?” asked Biddeford coach Justin Tardif of the postseason possibility of facing Brunswick again. “They will be really tough come playoff time and will not be an easy out. We broke down a little bit on defense in losing their shooters. We gave up a bit too many 3-pointers tonight.”

“They are a very good team with a lot of weapons, and we knew coming in that we had to contend with their perimeter shooting,” said Brunswick coach Todd Hanson, whose Dragons face another stiff test on Tuesday at home against Edward Little (6:30 p.m.). “We worked hard in going over screens and closing out shooters. But if you make one mistake, they find a weak link and take advantage of it.”

Biddeford always seemed to have a push after the Dragons worked hard to get close. Brunswick claimed a 23-20 lead in the second quarter after a Kyle Hanson trey, but Kyle Norton answered from beyond the arc for the Tigers, igniting a 9-0 run.

In the third quarter, Brunswick erased a seven-point halftime deficit with a 9-2 spurt to open the second half. Again, Biddeford had a response, using a 15- 6 run to go up 49-40 late in the third.

“When you’re on the road, if they get the lead it deflates you and makes it tough to come back,” said Tardif, whose Tigers visit Massabesic tonight at 7 p.m. “We were able to hit a big 3-pointer right before the half to go up by seven. Then Brunswick played very well to begin the second half, but we were able to get an offensive rebound and one, and that gave us a little push from there.”

“We wanted to work hard and come out of here with a win. We passed the ball really well tonight and made our shots,” said Norton, who led all scorers with 19 points.

Fast start

The first quarter was played quickly, with few whistles and end-to-end action. Tied 7-7, DeSean Cromwell nailed a 3-pointer, followed by a layup from Norton and a trey from Jackson Oloya for a 15-7 Biddeford lead.

Coach Hanson called a timeout, and his Dragons responded by closing the quarter on a 6-2 run, with Jack Bates scoring six points to lead Brunswick through eight minutes.

The Dragons kept coming in the second, tying the game at 18 on an Alex Small trey, and taking a 20- 18 lead moments later when Noah Cox hit a short jumper.

Biddeford’s 9-0 run, and a big 3-pointer by Carter Edgerton to close the half, put Brunswick into a 32-25 hole.

“Our offense hurt us on defense, as we took a lot of uncharacteristic quick shots that allowed them more possessions. You give a team like Biddeford more possessions, they are going to capitalize,” Todd Hanson said.

Brunswick went inside in the third quarter, with Colby Bucknam scoring nine of his team-high 13 points, and Dawson Hebert hitting a runner in the lane at the buzzer to bring the Dragons to 52-47 after 24 minutes.

“When you play against a well-coached team, they are never going to go away. Coach Hanson has a well coached team and they won’t go away,” Tardif said. “They will always hang around, and it is a style that wins in the playoffs.”

However, Biddeford wasn’t going to be denied. Cromwell stepped outside to hit his third 3-pointer of the contest for a 59-49 Tigers edge, and a three-point play by Norton finished off the Dragons with 2:58 remaining.

For Brunswick and coach Hanson, if a rematch with Biddeford is in the cards, a different mentality will likely be needed for his Dragons to come out on top.

“We have to improve our defense through our offense. We can’t score in the late 60’s. We have to grind it down,” said Todd Hanson.

Hebert had 12 points, while Cox and Bates each finished with 10. Kyle Hanson picked up six points, six rebounds, 10 assists and three steals, while Cam Dunton pulled in five rebounds.

Cromwell chipped in 15 points, six boards and three assists for Biddeford, with Edgerton pitching in 13 points and six assists, and Cody Saucier 10 points.

The Tigers shot 45 percent (22-of-48) from the floor and made 14-of-19 at the free-throw line. Brunswick was 25-of-49 (51 percent) from the field, but struggled to a 1-for- 7 performance at the charity stripe.

Biddeford 67, Brunswick 58

At Brunswick

Biddeford — Carter Edgerton 4-4-
13, Cody Saucier 4-1-10, Jackson
Oloya 1-0-3, Kyle Norton 6-5-19,
DeSean Cromwell 5-2-15, Jerome
Criado 1-2-5, Zach Reali 1-0-2,
Nathan Boutin 0-0-0. Totals — 22-
14-67.
Brunswick — Noah Cox 4-0-10,
Dawson Hebert 5-0-12, Jack Bates
5-0-10, Colby Bucknam 6-1-13,
Kyle Hanson 2-0-6, Jacob Lamoureux 2-0-4, Cam Dunton 0-0-0,
Alex Small 1-0-3, Aiden Glover 0-
0-0, Finn Mitchell 0-0-0. Totals —
25-1-58.
3-point field goals — (Bidd)
Cromwell 3, Norton 2, Edgerton,
Saucier, Oloya, Criado; (Brun) Cox
2, Hebert 2, Hanson 2, Small.
Records — Biddeford 12-3,
Brunswick 11-5.
Up next for the Dragons — Tuesday at home vs. Edward Little,
6:30 p.m.