SOUTH PORTLAND — South Portland wasn’t equipped to handle Bonny Eagle’s comeback in the boys’ basketball regional semifinals last February.

On Friday evening, the Scots again embarked on a furious comeback against the Red Riots. But this time, South Portland did just enough to survive.

After Bonny Eagle erased a 19-point deficit and on three different occasions took a lead, the Red Riots got a clutch 3-pointer from Pamba Pamba with 1:05 remaining and held on for a 66-65 win.

Cade Carr led South Portland with 22 points and Pamba added 15 as the Red Riots improved to 5-0.

“I can’t say enough good things about (Bonny Eagle),” said South Portland Coach Kevin Millington. “They’re just tough kids and winners. Probably the worst thing we could do was beat them in the regular season.”

Pamba hinted at a big night to come when he opened the scoring with a long 3-pointer. South Portland held a 13-10 lead after one quarter.

Pamba then put on a show to start the second quarter, draining a long 3, then stepping back and burying another 3-pointer from NBA-range.

From there, it went from bad to worse for the Scots with Zach Maturo, then Nate Ferris, picking up a second foul.

But Bonny Eagle hung tough and drew within seven, 23-16, on a runner from Cam Gardner. The Scots were within eight at 27-19 before Hunter Owen came off the bench and hit a couple 3-pointers for South Portland, sparking an 11-2 run and giving the Red Riots a seemingly commanding 38-23 halftime advantage.

South Portland went up by 19 points early in the third quarter, then held a 50-33 lead with 1:50 left in the quarter on a layup from Carr, but Bonny Eagle scored 18 straight points over the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters, capped by a Gardner 3-pointer to take its first lead, 51-50.

Consecutive 3-pointers from Carr put the Red Riots up 61-56, but Gardner banked home a 3-pointer and Maturo scored on a spinner in the lane to tie the game with 2:03 left.

Pamba then came through with 1:05 remaining, taking a pass from Gerik Bialorucki and draining a 3-pointer from the corner.

“It was just catch-and-shoot,” said Pamba. “It was instinct. We showed our mental toughness.”

Ferris got a point back at the line before Ryan Boles and Pamba added free throws, just enough to negate a Jacob Humphrey 3-pointer at the horn.

“When they went on that run, it was tough, but we showed our resiliency and we came out with the win,” said Carr. “A strong senior presence was big for that.”

Gardner and Humphrey each had 16 points and Maturo added 15 for Bonny Eagle, which suffered its first loss in four games.

“I don’t really believe in moral victories, but I have no issues with how we played in the second half,” said Scots’ Coach John Trull. “We have winners on our team. We’re never out of a game.”