The full 32 minutes.

That’s what it took for Gray-New Gloucester’s top-seeded boys’ basketball team to earn its first trip to a state final in nearly 50 years.

The Patriots battled across the whole court and were more efficient than No. 3 Noble for most of the game, then withstood a late flurry of pressure defense and shotmaking to clinch a 71-59 victory at a jam-packed and jumping Portland Expo in the Class A South final Friday night.

“We’re an older team. We have to stay composed, for sure,” Nate Hebert said. “We’re used to the crowd, right? Every home game is packed. We have to turn people away for home games. We’re used to it, and I think they might not have been used to it.’

Gray-New Gloucester (19-2) will face North champion Hampden Academy at 2:45 p.m. next Saturday at Cross Insurance Arena. The Patriots’ last state final appearance was when they won the Class C championship in 1975.

Johnny Patenaude, named the Class A South player of the tournament, led Gray-New Gloucester with 20 points. Nate Hebert added 17 and Aidan Hebert scored 12. Nate Hebert bounced back from a eight-point game in the Patriots’ semifinal win against Freeport.

Aidan Hebert and his twin brother, Noah (Nate is their uncle), were keys to the win with their intense rebounding and strength once they secured the ball. Aidan had 11 rebounds, Noah grabbed 10, and Carter Libby had nine rebounds.

“The first time we played them, they beat us terribly on the boards,” said Aidan Hebert, referencing Noble’s 82-78 win late in the regular season. “We just knew that if we secured one-and-done, we would be able to control the flow of the game.”

That was a major reason why the Patriots looked like they had the game locked away with a little more than four minutes to play, leading 63-42.

“The twins make them go,” said Noble Coach John Morgan. “I know Nate and Johnny will get all the flowers for their scoring, but the twins do all the dirty work.”

But No. 3 Noble (16-5), enjoying the school’s best season in at least 50 years, wasn’t ready to go quietly.

Bryce Guitard (18 points) knocked down two quick 3-pointers. Then star guard Jamier Rose (14 points), who did not score in the first three quarters, got four straight baskets to cut the lead to 64-56 with 1:20 to play.

In a rugged final 80 seconds with every pass and dribble contested, Gray-New Gloucester finally was able to put the game away, with Noah Hebert and Patenaude combining for six straight free throws.

Morgan said he told his team the final minutes were a character check. “You guys are going to battle here. We’re not going to spoil all the good stuff we did all season (and) just let someone walk all over us. Let’s make them earn it. And the guys made them earn it.”

It was the first Class A regional final for both teams. Gray-New Gloucester moved up from Class B in 2019-20. Noble dropped down from AA this season because it had won less than 25 percent of its games the previous four seasons. Further, Noble had one winning season from 1988-2023.

The first half was played at a frenetic pace. GNG was able to get better looks and convert more often, especially in the first quarter, and led 32-23 at the half behind 11 points from Patenaude and nine from Nate Hebert.

The Patriots used a 9-0 run in the third quarter, with one transition hoop each from the three Heberts and Patenaude, to push their lead to 43-25 midway through the third.

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