PORTLAND—Cheverus’ boys basketball team never trailed Tuesday evening at Keegan Gymnasium when it hosted rival South Portland in an early-season showdown.
But the Stags were certainly tested when the Red Riots cut a 15-point deficit to a mere point in the third quarter.
Cheverus, which has been in its share of big spots in recent seasons, then responded like the champion it hopes to become and further cemented its status as one of the elite teams in Class AA.
A 3-point shot from senior Shema Rwaganje seven seconds into the contest put the Stags in front to stay and they held leads of 14-9 after one quarter and 34-22 at the half, but the South Portland roared back in the third period and made it 36-35 behind consecutive baskets from junior reserve Tadhg O’Donnell.
Cheverus then closed the game on a dizzying 30-9 run, precipitated by a clutch 3-pointer from sophomore Nicola Plalum.
Plalum’s 3 sparked an 11-2 surge to end the third, then senior standout Leo McNabb took over in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points, as the Stags pulled away for a 66-44 victory.
McNabb led the way with 19 points, Plalum added 13 and senior Sammy Nzeyimana finished with 11 as Cheverus improved to 4-0 and in the process, dropped the Red Riots to 2-2.
“We’ve had those slides in a lot of these games and we’ve got to make sure that we maximize peaks and minimize valleys,” said Stags coach Richie Ashley. “I’m proud that when we got into the valley, it was a (30-9) run.”
Start to finish
Cheverus rallied to edge visiting Deering in an overtime thriller in the opener (66-60), then downed host Bonny Eagle (69-35) and Portland (46-38).
South Portland, meanwhile, started with a hard-fought 67-59 home loss to highly-touted Noble. The Red Riots then dispatched visiting Lewiston (62-46) and host Scarborough (67-49).
Last winter, the Stags downed the visiting Red Riots in the opener, 57-49.
Tuesday, South Portland looked to beat Cheverus for the first time since March 5, 2021 (58-46, in Portland), but instead, the Stags stayed perfect.
Cheverus senior Leo McNabb shoots a free throw early in the Stags’ 66-44 win over South Portland Tuesday. Hoffer photos.
Off the opening tip, the ball came up to Rwaganje, whose 3-point attempt hit the rim, then dropped through the net seven seconds in and Cheverus would hold the lead the rest of the way.
After McNabb scored his first point on a free throw, the Red Riots got on the board on a driving layup from senior Tom Majoli, but Nzeyimana set up McNabb for a layup to make it 6-2.
A 3-point shot from senior Carmine Soucy pulled South Portland within one, but moments after coming off the bench, senior Aaron Goodman took a pass from Plalum and sank a 3.
After senior Manny Hidalgo answered with a bank shot for the Red Riots, junior Jameson Fitzpatrick made a free throw, then took a pass from McNabb and made a layup.
Nzeyimana then set up Plalum for a layup and while South Portland senior Hira Kangethe scored on a leaner with 39 seconds to go, the Stags were up, 14-9, after eight minutes.
Cheverus would build on its lead in the second quarter.
Junior Gabe Jackson hit a 3 to pull the Red Riots within two to start the frame, but Nzeyimana spun and shot and got the roll, then Nzeyimana made a free throw.
Cheverus senior Aaron Goodman shoots a 3-pointer over South Portland junior Tristen Sanders.
After Soucy hit a jumper, Goodman made his second 3, with 4:24 on the clock, and the lead was 20-14.
Junior Tristen Sanders got a point back at the line for the Red Riots, but Rwaganje countered with a left-handed spinner that rolled home.
Kangethe scored on a putback for South Portland, but McNabb drove, double-clutched, then laid the ball home for a 24-17 lead.
Kangethe hit a jumper, but the Stags scored 10 points in 92 seconds for some breathing room.
First, Fitzpatrick drove for a layup. Nzeyimana then got the ball from McNabb and sank a 3. Plalum then set up Nzeyimana for another 3 before McNabb drove for a layup.
Cheverus appeared to have all the momentum, but the visitors wrested it back at the horn, as Hidalgo sank a 3 from just inside midcourt to cut the deficit to 34-22.
Nzeyimana led all first half scorers with nine points and the Stags forced nine turnovers to help open it up.
When McNabb opened the second half with a layup, Cheverus threatened to pull away, but the next 13 points would go to South Portland.
First, Hidalgo set up Sanders for a layup.
O’Donnell then took over.
After O’Donnell took an inbounds pass from Hidalgo and made a layup, Hidalgo scored on a putback, Hidalgo set up Soucy for a 3 from the corner, then O’Donnell banked home a runner before he drove and finished with his left hand with 3:20 on the clock and just like that, the Red Riots trailed by a single point, 36-35.
But they would get no closer.
Seventeen seconds later, at the other end, Plalum made the biggest shot of the night, getting the ball from Fitzpatrick and burying a 3-ball.
“Nicola came up big-time on that shot,” McNabb said.
“(Nicola’s) only a sophomore but it seems like he’s been here forever,” Ashley said. “That was a big shot. Momentum built after that.”
After South Portland missed at the rim, McNabb was fouled (by Hidalgo, his third) and he sank both attempts to stretch the lead to six.
“That was a big turnaround,” said Red Riots coach Kevin Millington. “We missed a layup, then fouled them at the other end. That was a four-point swing.”
By period’s end, the margin would be 10.
McNabb set up Plalum for a fastbreak layup, then Hidalgo was called for his fourth foul and Nzeyimana followed with a jumper.
Hidalgo momentarily stemmed the tide with a driving layup, but with 41.3 seconds left, on the fastbreak, Rwaganje fed Fitzpatrick for a layup and a 47-37 advantage heading for the final stanza.
Where Cheverus ended any lingering doubt.
Just six seconds in, McNabb drove for a layup in traffic.
After Plalum made a layup after a steal, Plalum fed McNabb for a backdoor layup, then Nzeyimana broke the press and set up sophomore AJ Lauture for a dagger of a layup and a 55-37 lead with 4:56 to go.
A Hidalgo layup 10 seconds later snapped a 19-2 surge, but the Stags never allowed the Red Riots to entertain hopes of a comeback, as Lauture found Plalum on the fastbreak for another layup, Fitzpatrick set up McNabb for a layup and McNabb’s jumper with 3:22 to play produced a commanding 61-39 advantage.
“My teammates found me,” McNabb said. “It was all them finding me and getting me the ball.”
“We were able to run some things for (Leo),” Ashley said. “We wanted to get him the ball and get him involved.”
Down the stretch, O’Donnell drove for a layup, McNabb set up Plalum for a layup, O’Donnell fed senior Ashton Mutagoma for a layup, Rwaganje sank a 3 for Cheverus’ final points, then a Mutagoma free throw produced the 66-44 final score.
“I think we just stayed together,” said McNabb. “We locked down on the defensive end. We’re just playing together and focusing on defense.”
“We called timeout and adjusted and calmed our bodies down, then we started cutting and got layups and played better defense,” Ashley said. “I thought we did a pretty good job rebounding the ball. It was a good win, but there’s a long way to go.”
The Catholic University-bound McNabb was stellar as usual, scoring 19 points, while also dishing out five assists and producing three rebounds and two steals.
Plalum added 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists and Nzeyimana also finished in double-digits with 11 points (to go with four rebounds and four assists).
“I thought Sammy played one of his best all-around games in four years,” said Ashley.
Rwaganje contributed eight points and five rebounds, Fitzpatrick had seven points, five rebounds and a pair of assists, Goodman had six points and Lauture finished with two.
The Stags enjoyed a 30-28 edge on the glass, made 5-of-9 free throws and only turned the ball over nine times.
South Portland got 11 points from Hidalgo, who also had seven rebounds and four assists.
“(Manny) was the focus,” said Ashley. “Sammy and Leo did a great job on him.”
O’Donnell scored eight points off the bench.
“Tadhg is a good player,” Millington said. “He plays good defense and he took advantage of some spots and helped us get back in the game.”
Soucy added eight points, Kangethe had six, Jackson three (to go with five rebounds), Mutagoma and Sanders (four rebounds) three apiece and Maloji two.
The Red Riots gave the ball away 11 times and made 2-of-4 foul shots.
“We couldn’t get stops or buckets,’ Millington lamented. “It just kind of spiraled. They’re really good. Their length is an issue defensively. They do a good job on help-side (defense) and they play hard. We had to convert our opportunities and we didn’t. It’s not easy scoring against them.”
Finishing up 2024
South Portland hopes to get back on track when it visits Sanford Friday.
“We just have to figure out who we are and we’ll get there,” Millington said. “I think we’re a work in progress. It’s a long season. I think we can be as good as anyone in the end. We’re not quite there yet. The plan is to keep getting better.”
Cheverus is back in action Friday at home versus Bangor.
“There’s always things to improve, like getting the right shots,” said McNabb. “This year is it. There’s nothing else we want more than a championship.”
“Bangor’s good, they beat Portland,” Ashley said. “We’re off to a good start, but it’s a long run.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
