YORK — It starts with being good shooters, and York senior Derek Parsons and sophomore Reece MacDonald can both shoot.
Then the question is, will the good shooters work to get good shots?
“My philosophy is you can get a 3-pointer with a guy in your face any time in the game,” said York Coach Jerry Hill. “But work the ball around, work the reversal, and look for a better shot. And they were doing that.”
Thursday night against rival Wells, Parsons made five of his seven 3-point attempts on the way to 17 points, and MacDonald was a perfect 5-for-5 with his rainbow jumper, usually from the corner as the Wildcats pulled away in the second half for a 62-44 Class B South win.
“I just thought that I got open and my teammates made the right play,” said MacDonald, who led York with 19 points. “Derek made a lot of good passes when I was in the corner, and I think it just speaks to our unselfishness as a team.”
Parsons said it helps when shots fall early. He made his first four 3s.
Then, “I was getting face-guarded, so I just drive and get the attention, and Reece would spot up, and I had trust in him to hit the shot.”
York improved to 10-1 with its fourth straight win since a 48-44 loss to Class A Greely in Cumberland. The Wildcats’ leading scorer, Connor Roberge, suffered a severe ankle sprain in that loss. He hopes to get the boot off his left foot in a week or so and plans to return to the court this season.
In the meantime, York has adjusted. MacDonald went from sixth man to starter. Ben Brown, a defensive spark plug off the bench, and junior guard Ryan Cummins are doing more. Both made key plays in the fourth quarter when York outscored Wells 19-8.
“I just think we’ve got some depth and everyone has stepped up since he went out,” Parsons said.
It also helps that 6-foot-5 Lukas Bouchard has continued to be a double-double machine. Despite picking up two quick fouls that limited him to about three minutes of action in the first half, Bouchard finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Wells slipped to 5-5 after starting the season 4-0.
Wells was without point guard Eli Roy, an effective shot creator and play maker who injured his wrist in Tuesday’s win against Fryeburg Academy
“I’m hoping with the day off (Friday), and then we play Traip on Saturday, that we can get him back after that,” Wells Coach Troy Brown said.
Wells used its own 3-point shooting and some gritty floor play to stay in the game in the first half. When Jeremy Therrien (12 points) made his third 3-pointer and Kaden Springer (12 points) followed with a deep jumper, Wells led 18-14 early in the second quarter. But York responded with three 3s – two by Parsons and one by MacDonald – and Bouchard came back into the game for a pair of inside buckets as York took a 30-25 lead to the halftime break.
In the third quarter, Nolan Brown scored seven of his 11 points for Wells, which remained in contact until a York surge midway through the fourth quarter.
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