SOUTH PORTLAND—When the South Portland boys basketball team is sharing the ball, it’s a thing of beauty to the Red Riots and their fans.
And a nightmare for anyone who crosses their path.
Saturday afternoon at Beal Gymnasium, it was the Portland Bulldogs who got to witness just how special South Portland can be and in a midseason showdown between the ancient rivals, the Red Riots started fast and never gave up the lead en route to an emphatic victory.
Senior standout Manny Hidalgo set the tone with six points in the game’s first 30 seconds and by the end of the first period, thanks in part to 10 points from Hidalgo and seven more from senior Tom Maloji, South Portland enjoyed a 21-11 advantage.
The Red Riots went up by as many as 18 points, 33-15, midway through the second quarter before the Bulldogs showed some life and drew within 37-24 at the half.
When Portland scored the first six points of the third period, it looked like a close finish would be in store, but instead, on consecutive possessions, nice passing sequences set up junior Gabe Jackson for 3-pointers and South Portland embarked on a 17-2 run to break the game open.
The Red Riots took a 60-40 lead to the fourth quarter and there, put the finishing touches on a 70-48 victory.
Hidalgo led the way with 23 points, South Portland finished with 18 assists on 30 made field goals and improved to 7-2 with its fifth consecutive victory, dropping the Bulldogs to 3-6 in the process.
“I’ve always told the kids that when we’re moving the ball, it’s like a symphony,” said Red Riots coach Kevin Millington. “It’s really hard to get kids to share the ball, but these guys are great. They’re really buying into sharing it. We’re trending in the right direction and I appreciate that.”
Anybody’s game
While they’ve had disparate results so far this winter, both Portland and South Portland know that Class AA is wide open this winter and both hope to be at their best next month.
The Red Riots started with a hard-fought 67-59 home loss to highly-touted Noble, then dispatched visiting Lewiston (62-46) and host Scarborough (67-49) before falling at Cheverus (66-44). South Portland got back on track with victories at Sanford (63-46), and at home over Bonny Eagle (44-34), then rallied for a win at Deering (69-60) before rolling at home over Scarborough (78-47).
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, started with losses at Bangor (65-60), Scarborough (61-53) and at home to Cheverus (46-38). Portland got in the win column with an overtime victory at rival Deering (56-52), then edged host Kennebunk (38-37). After losing at home to reigning Class AA champion Windham in a regional final rematch (56-49), the Bulldogs downed visiting Sanford (63-54) before falling short at Lewiston Thursday (56-52).
A year ago, Portland captured both meetings, 46-39 on the road and 67-43 at home.
Saturday, the Bulldogs looked to do it again, but instead, the Red Riots beat them for the first time since the 2023 Class AA state final and in the process, cut Portland’s all-time lead in the series, which dates to 1910, to 129-110.
South Portland senior Hira Kangethe snags a rebound over Portland junior Cordell Jones during the Red Riots’ 70-48 victory Saturday. Photos courtesy Kneka Smith Photography.
Just 16 seconds in, Hidalgo knocked down a 3-point shot.
“Last game, I was pretty hot, so I wanted that to carry over to this game and hopefully carry over the rest of the season,” said Hidalgo.
Fourteen seconds later, Hidalgo converted an old-fashioned three-point play, making a layup after a steal while being fouled and adding the and-one free throw for a quick 6-0 advantage.
The Bulldogs then came to life and got a bank shot from junior Cordell Jones and a corner 3 from junior Lucas LeGage, set up by Jones after an offensive rebound, but that’s as close as they would get.
After Hidalgo drained another 3, set up by Jackson, Maloji scored his first points, and his team’s first non-Hidalgo points, on a putback.
Jones set up LeGage for a layup, but Hidalgo found Maloji for a layup, then with 3:24 on the clock, junior Tristen Sanders set up Jackson for a layup and a 15-7 lead.
After senior Devin Walker hit a jumper and Sanders countered with a putback, Walker drove and banked home a contested shot, but Hidalgo countered with a contested layup, then Hidalgo took a pass from Jackson and made another layup for a 21-11 advantage after eight minutes.
Hidalgo led the way in the period with 10 points, while Maloji added seven.
The Red Riots didn’t let up in the second quarter.
Hidalgo continued to be unstoppable as the frame began, driving and scooping home a shot with his left hand, then driving and banking home a runner off the glass with his right hand to make it 25-11.
“I want to show them that my size doesn’t matter and I can jump pretty high,” Hidalgo said.
With 5:30 to go before halftime, junior Loic Ramazani set up sophomore Maddox Meas for a layup, snapping Portland’s 5 minute, 2 second scoring drought, but Hidalgo set up Jackson for a 3, then Maloji found senior Hira Kangethe for a layup to stretch the advantage to 30-13.
“The extra passes get us the open lane,” Hidalgo said. “I think moving the ball is very important for us.”
“It’s just us communicating, starting on defense,” said Maloji. “Once we get that part, the offense starts rolling and everyone gets in a rhythm and gets more engaged. When we kind of slow it down and go one-and-one, it’s hard to move the ball, but when we’re unselfish, it makes it hard for other teams.”
Senior Cedar Conly got two points back for the Bulldogs at the free throw line, but Hidalgo made another 3 (set up by senior Carmine Soucy) to make it 33-15.
Portland got a pullup 3 from Jones and after Maloji answered with a putback, Jones drained a long jumper, Jones made a free throw, then with 37 seconds on the clock, a Jones 3-ball cut the deficit to 11.
But with 2.5 seconds remaining, Hidalgo finished after a spin move for his 18th and 19th points to give South Portland a 37-24 lead at the break.
The Bulldogs tried to rally as the third quarter began, but the comeback was quickly squashed.
Portland senior Devin Walker lunges for a rebound.
Eleven seconds into the second half, Walker made two free throws.
After Jones made a layup after a steal, Walker drove for a layup while being fouled and while he missed the ensuing free throw, just like that, the Bulldogs trailed, 37-30.
But in a 36-second span, South Portland reasserted control on back-to-back 3s from Jackson.
The first was set up by Maloji and turned the tide.
The second, from Hidalgo, pushed the lead back to 13.
After LeGage drove for a layup, junior reserve extraordinaire Darius Johnson made a free throw, Hidalgo banked home a runner, then after a Hidalgo block at the defensive end, Soucy found Maloji for a layup, pushing the advantage to 48-32 and forcing longtime Portland coach Joe Russo to call timeout.
It didn’t help, as Maloji set up Johnson for a layup on the fastbreak, Hidalgo found Johnson for another layup, then after a steal, Hidalgo’s no-look pass fed Maloji for a layup and a 54-32 advantage.
“We needed to stop being lazy on defense,” Hidalgo said. “Just because we were up, the game wasn’t over. Portland’s known as a team that keeps going, so we had to keep going with them.”
A layup from junior Benilson Lumani ended the 17-2 run, then LeGage scored on a runner, but Hidalgo countered by feeding Johnson for a layup.
After LeGage made a layup (from Jones), Johnson scored on a putback and after Jones scored on a putback, Hidalgo, just before the horn, scored on an acrobatic putback to give South Portland a 60-40 lead heading to the final stanza.
There, the Red Riots closed it out.
South Portland junior Tristen Sanders looks for a shot as Portland junior Benilson Lumani defends.
Walker started the final frame with a driving layup, then Meas did the same, but Kangethe countered with a three-point play and Jackson set up junior Tadhg O’Donnell for a layup.
After Conly banked home a shot for the Bulldogs, Sanders scored on a leaner.
Conly then scored on a leaner for Portland’s final points before a 3-ball from Red Riots senior Ashton Mutagoma accounted for the 70-48 final score.
“They’re Portland and you saw what Portland’s all about in the third quarter,” Millington said. “They played really hard to the end and we had to play well and we did.”
Hidalgo excelled in all aspects, leading the way with 23 points, go to with nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
“It’s a wonder the things (Manny) can do,” said Maloji. “Very impressive. I’m glad I’m just along for the ride.”
“Manny’s so quick that he’s so hard to guard,” Millington said. “It’s funny how he never gets fouled because he’s so good at getting by people and still avoiding contact and making shots.”
Maljoi added 13 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals and Jackson also wound up in double figures with 11 points, also contributing seven rebounds and a pair of assists.
Johnson produced nine points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Kangethe had five points (as well as three rebounds and two steals), Sanders four (to go with four rebounds), Mutagoma three and O’Donnell two.
South Portland finished with a commanding 40-20 rebounding advantage, hit seven 3-pointers to Portland’s three, overcame 17 turnovers and made 3-of-4 free throws.
The Bulldogs were paced by Jones, who had 15 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
“Cordell is back in basketball shape,” Russo said. “He moved and scored tonight. We can build on that. We can build around our only veteran.”
LeGage added 11 points (and four rebounds), Walker had 10 (to go with four rebounds and two steals), Conly six, Meas four (as well as two assists and two steals) and Lumani two.
Portland made 5-of-9 foul shots and committed 16 turnovers.
“Tonight was a little bit of a setback,” Russo said. “We hoped to be more competitive. We went into the season knowing that we’re pretty much a JV team trying to become a varsity team, hopefully quicker than later. There are visions now-and-then that we’re heading that way, but then reality sets in that we’re really not. This is the first time we’ve lost by this much. I liked the way we came back in the third. It was a nice little run. We went from down 18 to seven. We have to work on how we did that.”
On to the second half
Portland (which is ranked fifth in the Class AA North Heal Points standings at the midway point of the regular season) is home versus Bangor Tuesday and Deering Thursday, then goes to Edward Little next Saturday.
“We’re halfway through the season and we could be 4-5, 5-4, but we’re not,” Russo said. “We started the season knowing we had to learn and become a varsity team. We have some material. It’s just taking time.”
South Portland, meanwhile, is first in Class AA South and has two key road tests next week, at Windham Tuesday and at Oxford Hills next Saturday.
“There’s definitely still things to work on, but I think we’re starting to come together as a team,” Hidalgo said. “Everyone has to take everything more seriously. I think we’re known as the underdog and that’s fine with me, but we want to show everyone we can be champions.”
“It’s feeling like we’re putting it together,” said Maloji. “We just need to communicate more and play defense. There’s always room for improvement.”
“We’re playing better than we were at the beginning of the year and that’s all we’re trying to do, keep progressing and hope to make a run in the tournament,” Millington added. “This is the SMAA and you’re only as good as your next game. We’ll be ready for Windham. We’ll see what happens. They have a great culture and six or seven guys who can all score. We have to be versatile defensively. I love that we’re going up there. I have a little interest because I still work there. I know a lot of kids and fans. It will be a fun atmosphere.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
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