GRAY — A 13-point halftime lead was suddenly just four, and Gray-New Gloucester senior Noah Hebert knew his team needed a spark.
“I saw a couple heads down and I tried to get them back up,” Hebert said.
Hebert’s baseline 3-pointer midway through the third quarter snapped Greely’s run and snapped the Patriots back into their groove. From there, Gray-New Gloucester regained control and pulled away for a 68-52 victory Tuesday night.
“Hit shots like that and it will turn the game around,” said Hebert, who scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half.
Noah Hebert was one of the three Patriots (3-1) in double figures. Nate Hebert and John Patenaude each scored 18, while Aidan Hebert, Noah’s twin brother, finished just off double figures with nine.
“Any given night it could be someone different, which is what’s fun about this team,” said Ian McCarthy, in his first season as Gray-New Gloucester’s head coach after serving as an assistant last season.
That offensive depth makes Gray-New Gloucester a tough matchup for any defense. Greely (1-3) focused on slowing Nate Hebert, face-guarding him throughout the game.
“He made a couple of tough shots but that’s the thing. They can spread the floor and when you collapse, they’ve got a couple other guys that can consistently score points,” Greely Coach Travis Seaver said.
This was a game of runs. Greely scored the final eight points of the first quarter to take a 14-13 lead, and the Patriots closed the half on a 16-6 run for a 35-22 lead. Out of the half the Rangers got hot again, scoring the first nine points to cut the deficit to 35-31 on a Jackson Leding (13 points) layup.
That’s when Noah Hebert hit his clutch 3-pointer with 4:14 left in the third, and the Patriots regained control. Gray-New Gloucester scored the final eight points of the third to open a 50-36 lead. Noah Hebert made two of the Patriots’ eight 3-pointers, both in the second half.
“We had a few breakdowns defensively and every time they punched us, we answered back. We’ve got some guys who are clutch on this team,” McCarthy said.
Holding a giant New England Patriots logo on a gold plastic chain, the team award to the MVP, Patenaude said he was never concerned when the Rangers made their run.
“I know how good we are. It doesn’t matter if they go off, we’re still probably going to come back,” Patenaude said. “No nerves.”
Noah Hebert had nine rebounds and Aidan Hebert added seven. The Patriots helped force 21 Greely turnovers, which turned into transition opportunities.
Kade Ippolito led Greely with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
“One or two possessions away, right? We did a great job staying in it and battling back, but we were always one possession away,” Seaver said.
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