CAPE ELIZABETH — If the Waynflete boys’ basketball team succeeds in winning a Gold Ball this winter, the Flyers might look back at Thursday night’s victory at perennial power Cape Elizabeth as the game that gave them the belief they could beat anyone.

Even though standout point guard Askar Houssein got into foul trouble and couldn’t buy a 3-pointer for most of the night, the Flyers stayed close enough to give themselves a chance. Alex Saade put them ahead by hitting a contested 3-pointer with 18 seconds remaining, and the Capers missed four late foul shots as Waynflete prevailed, 53-52.

Saade led the way with 13 points as Waynflete, one of the favorites in Class C South, improved to 3-0.

“This says that we’re on our way to being battle-tested, but by no means are we finished,” said Saade.

Andrew Hartel, the Capers’ 6-foot-9 senior center, scored his team’s first five points but soon picked up his second foul and had to sit. Houssein scored the Flyers’ first four points but also went to the bench with two fouls.

Cape Elizabeth got five quick points from Tanner Carpenter to open up a 16-13 lead after one quarter, but Waynflete bounced back to go ahead on a Saade leaner before a buzzer-beating runner from Nate Mullen gave the Capers a 29-28 halftime lead.

A Mullen 3-pointer capped a 7-2 run that pushed Cape Elizabeth’s lead to 40-36, but a 30-foot prayer at the third-quarter horn from Finn Scott pulled Waynflete within one, 42-41.

The back-and-forth action continued, as Diraige Dahia hit a runner to give Waynflete a 47-45 advantage, but Mullen made a layup and Carpenter hit a 3 as the Capers grabbed a 50-47 lead with 2:48 to go.

Solomon Levy countered with a putback, but two Carpenter free throws with 1:16 on the clock restored the three-point lead.

After Saade made one of two free throws, Mullen twice missed the front end of 1-and-1s. After the second miss, Saade lined up a long 3, and it found nothing but net.

“I knew I had to just make a play, so I shot it and it felt good,” said Saade.

Carpenter then drew a foul with 2.7 seconds left but missed both attempts.

“I’m very proud of the kids for battling back and I couldn’t be happier for Alex,” said Waynflete Coach Rich Henry. “He’s a good 3-point shooter and he doesn’t take enough of them.”

In addition to Saade’s 13 points, the Flyers got 12 from Scott and eight from Houssein.

Class B Cape Elizabeth (2-3) was led by Hartel with 20 points. Mullen added 12 and Carpenter finished with 10.

“I had the right players at the line at the end,” said Cape Elizabeth Coach Jim Ray. “That’s the way it goes sometimes. Lack of poise showed up on multiple occasions, not just at the end. We’ve got to get better.”

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