GRAY—Johnny B Good?

More like Johnny B Sensational.

Gray-New Gloucester senior standout John Patenaude put on a show against the visiting Greely Rangers Saturday afternoon in a late-season boys basketball showdown and more importantly, he and his teammates took another step closer to becoming a postseason matchup nightmare.

Patenaude scored the game’s first basket and had nine first quarter points as the Patriots opened up a quick 16-8 lead.

By halftime, Patenaude had 16 points and Gray-New Gloucester was in command, doubling up the Rangers, 34-17.

That was mere prelude to a dizzying display in the third period, as Patenaude scored a jawdropping 16 points in just over four minutes and the Patriots opened up a seemingly insurmountable lead, 57-26.

When Patenaude opened the final stanza with a layup, it appeared Gray-New Gloucester was going to win in a laugher, but instead, Greely dug into its reservoir of heart and pride and embarked on a stirring rally.

With sophomore Rocky Axelsen sparking the comeback with three 3-pointers off the bench, the Rangers improbably drew within nine points, 64-55, with just under a minute to go.

But there would be no comeback for the ages, as a Patenaude layup, then two more foul shots from the standout with 18 seconds to play slammed the door and the Patriots had their most inspirational victory of the season, 69-56.

Patenaude scored a career high 40 points as Gray-New Gloucester made it four wins in a row, improved to 6-10 and in the process, handed Greely its fourth consecutive setback and dropped the Rangers to 9-8.

“I started hot and had a couple 3s and layups,” said Patenaude, who played a key role on the Patriots’ run to their first state title in nearly a half-century a year ago. “We had a game plan for me to leak out. I was just feeling it and my teammates got me the ball and the coaches told me to get the ball. I take those shots every single day in practice.”

Showtime

The Rangers started with victories over visiting Mt. Ararat (51-46) and at reigning Class AA South champion Gorham (56-53). After a 51-44 home loss to Brunswick and a 56-39 setback at York, Greely went under the .500 mark with a 62-52 setback at Gardiner, but then it flipped the switch with a dramatic, buzzer-beating 41-40 home win over Lewiston (on an Ippolito basket) before defeating host Fryeburg Academy (43-38), visiting Sanford (56-43), Gray-New Gloucester (50-37), and Wells (61-50). After a 45-43 loss at Messalonskee, the Rangers beat host Mt. Ararat (55-42), then handled visiting Cape Elizabeth (75-46). After a 59-45 home loss to Falmouth, Greely’s skid continued with losses at Freeport (38-32) and Brunswick (48-44).

The Patriots, meanwhile, lost most of last year’s production to graduation and struggled most of the season before hitting their stride. Gray-New Gloucester started with losses to Freeport (53-49), Mt. Ararat (77-56) and Falmouth (66-62) before getting in the win column at Wells (64-53). Losses followed to Brunswick (57-43), Marshwood (56-55), York (70-64) and Edward Little (70-29). After holding off visiting Lake Region (54-46), the Patriots were beaten by Noble (57-54), Greely (50-37), and Yarmouth (67-51). Gray-New Gloucester then edged host Westbrook (67-65) and visiting Mt. Ararat (67-56) before downing host Yarmouth Monday, 53-40.

Last year, en route to the championship, the Patriots twice beat the Rangers, but in the teams’ first meeting this winter, Jan. 7 in Cumberland, senior Andrew Padgett scored 14 points and classmates Kade Ippolito and Ethan Michaud added 12 apiece in Greely’s victory. Patenaude paced Gray-New Gloucester with 12 points.

Saturday, the Rangers hoped for more of the same, but suffice it to say that Patenaude was for more productive and he and his teammates wouldn’t be denied.

Patenaude broke the ice 85 seconds into the game by hitting a fadeaway jumper.

A tip-in from senior Kade Ippolito pulled the Rangers even, but that would be their highwater mark.

An old-fashioned three-point play (basket, foul and free throw) from sophomore Carter Corson put the Patriots in front to stay.

Ippolito pulled Greely within one with two foul shots, but with 3:55 to go in the frame, senior Owen Partridge, one of the league’s elite defenders, who had been tasked with shadowing Patenaude, picked up his second foul and had to sit.

Patenaude immediately took advantage by hitting a pair of floaters.

After senior Ethan Michaud got a point back at the line for the Rangers, freshman Quentin Warrick made two free throws for the hosts, then senior captain Colby Mitchell scored on a putback.

A 3-ball from senior Brogan Raftice pulled Greely within five, but with time winding down, Patenaude sank a 3-ball for a 16-8 lead after eight minutes.

Gray-New Gloucester didn’t turn the ball over in the period, while Patenaude set the tone with nine points.

The Patriots extended their lead in the second quarter.

After senior Luca Cimino made a free throw for Greely, Mitchell hit a short jumper, then Patenaude pulled up and drained a 3 and Mitchell followed with another jumper to make it 23-9, forcing Rangers’ coach Travis Seaver to call timeout.

It helped initially, as Michaud sank a 3-pointer from the corner, but Patenaude countered with two free throws, then Mitchell banked home a shot to make it 27-12.

After Ippolito scored on a putback, Michaud’s free throw cut the deficit to 12, but Mitchell stepped back and drained a 3.

After an Ippolito foul shot, Warrick sank a jumper and after a free throw from Greely senior Luke O’Connor, Mitchell stole the ball and set up Patenaude for a breakaway layup and a 34-17 halftime advantage.

Patenaude led the way with 16 points in the first half, but Mitchell (11 points) was superb as well.

“Colby and Johnny are figuring out how to work together offensively,” said Gray-New Gloucester coach Ian McCartthy. “They’re both knockdown shooters and you can’t fall asleep against them. Colby was just as hot in the first half.”

As impressive as they were in the first half, the Patriots kicked it up another notch in the third period.

The Patriots began the second half with a Mitchell layup (from junior captain Isaiah Portas).

Partridge countered with a driving layup, but Mitchell made a layup, then he hit a jumper for a 40-19 lead.

After Michaud set up Cimino for a layup, Portas scored on a runner in the lane.

Ippolito found Michaud for a layup, but with 4:39 to go in the frame, Patenaude scored on a leaner and he would dominate the remainder of the quarter.

After Ippolito took a pass from Partridge and made a layup, Patenaude made a free throw, then he converted a layup before finishing after a nice spin move in the lane to make it 49-25.

Axelsen scored his first point at the line, but that only momentarily interrupted the Patenaude Show, as Patenaude made a layup after a steal, banked home a contested shot, finished a feed from Portas with a 3-ball, then he made a layup, from Corson after a steal to make it 16 points in the period and extend Gray-New Gloucester’s advantage to 58-26.

Patenaude began the final stanza with a layup, from Corson after another steal, but Greely suddenly flipped the switch and eventually would cut the 34-point deficit all the way down to nine.

After a 3-ball from Padgett ended the Patriots’ 11-0 run, Partridge banked home a shot, Partridge converted a three-point play, then Partridge, Ippolito and Michaud all made one free throw before Partridge fed Ippolito for a layup to make the score 60-39 with 4:27 still to go.

A free throw from junior Carter Davis allowed Gray-New Gloucester to end the Rangers’ 13-0 run, but Axelsen drained a 3.

After Patenaude drove for a layup, Michaud made a layup, Axelsen scored on a runner, then Michaud found Axelsen for another 3 in transition to pull Greely within 14, 63-49, with 1:56 on the clock.

Portas got a point back at the line, but Padgett found Axelsen for a 3, Ippolito made two foul shots, then with 44.3 seconds to go, a free throw from senior Matthew Hutnak made it a single-digit difference, 64-55.

The Rangers even got the ball back, but Patenaude restored order, as after a steal from Corson, Patenaude soared for a layup.

After Raftice made one free throw, Patenaude was fouled with 18 seconds to go and he went to the line and hit both attempts to make it an even 40 points for the game.

“I knew with like a minute left that I was close,” said Patenaude. “I have a few friends who were in the first row who told me I was almost at 40. I knew I had to make those free throws.”

Davis made one more free throw and that accounted for the 69-56 final score.

“We’re a whole new team since the last team we played (Greely,’ Patenaude said. “We’ve won four in a row now. Practices have been way different. We had a good game plan coming into today.”

“We talked about putting them away early in the third period if we could,” McCarthy said. “We did a good job of that. We knew they would make a push, but we had to keep our composure.”

Patenaude stole the show with his 40-point effort, which included 13 two-point field goals, three 3s, and five free throws.

“Greely has one of the best lockdown defenders and for him to put up those kinds of numbers against (Partridge) is even more impressive,” McCarthy said. “They’re long. They cover a lot of space on a small court. Surprisingly, we handled that zone better than we did earlier this season.

“Johnny’s fighting through injury, but you wouldn’t know it. He’s a momentum player. He feeds off the energy of the crowd. Once he sees one go in, he’s tough to stop. At the rim, he’s just as solid. ”

Mitchell, despite fouling out, managed 16 points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.

“I was late on a sub for Colby and that penalized us,” said McCarthy. “He had to sit almost the whole fourth quarter and that was a good test for us.”

Corson added five points, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots, while Warrick had four points (to go with four rebounds and two steals), Portas three (to go with four rebounds and three assists) and Davis one.

Gray-New Gloucester made 11-of-17 free throws and only turned the ball over eight times.

Greely’s effort was paced by Ippolito, who had 14 points and six rebounds. Axelsen made his mark off the bench with 12 points, including three 3s.

“Rocky has the ability to do that,” Seaver said. “He’s young with a group of seniors, but there’s a reason he’s on the floor. His teammates trust him and he can play.”

Michaud also wound up in double figures with 10 points (to go with five rebounds and three assists).

Partridge, who ultimately fouled out, had eight points, three assists and three rebounds.

Raftice added four points, Cimino and Padgett (four rebounds) each had three and Hutnak and O’Connor finished with one apiece.

The Rangers made just 16-of-28 free throws and committed 15 turnovers.

“We can’t wait until the fourth quarter to play like we did,” Seaver said. “That’s how we can play and that’s how we play in spurts. We just can’t pick and choose when to play that way. They came out strong in the first quarter. We got punched in the face first and we didn’t punch back. Not having Owen didn’t help, but we settled on offense. Johnny had a great game. We didn’t put pressure on them. We didn’t dictate what we were doing.”

Almost tourney time

Gray-New Gloucester (currently ranked ninth in the Class A South Heal Points standings) has two big games left, Tuesday at home versus Brunswick and Thursday at Fryeburg Academy. The top nine teams from the region will qualify for the playoffs, but the Patriots aren’t concerned with just getting into the field.

They think they can beat anyone once they get there.

“I think we punched our ticket (to the tournament) today,” Patenaude said. “If we play like we did today, we can compete with anybody. Last year’s championship game, we were the favorites and we hated it. We wanted to be the underdog. We can do that this time.”

“It’s very gratifying, especially for the guys who did it last year,” said McCarthy. “They had high expectations coming in. We’ve tried to keep the rest of the team to keep their heads up and we’d figure it out and we have. We’re rebounding the ball better. Our team defense is getting much better and guys are stepping up. Our rotation is solid now.

“Colby and Johnny on the big floor could be dangerous together. We just want to keep our momentum. Senior Night against Brunswick is next and that will be fun.”

Greely’s regular season ends Tuesday at home versus Yarmouth. The Rangers will enter that one ranked fifth in Class A South.

“Everything we’re doing wrong is fixable,” Seaver said. “I still think our defense can be top-notch. We have two-and-a-half weeks to figure it out. We want to go into the tournament on a positive note. We’ll put everything we can into Tuesday, then we’ll get ready for the Expo.

“I believe we can play with anyone, but unfortunately, we can also lose to anyone. That margin of error is pretty small.”

BOX SCORE

Gray-New Gloucester 69 Greely 56

G- 8 9 9 30- 56
GNG- 16 18 24 11- 69

G- Ippolito 4-6-14, Axelsen 4-1-12, Michaud 3-3-10, Partridge 3-2-8, Raftice 1-1-4, Cimino 1-1-3, Padgett 1-0-3, Hutnak 0-1-1, O’Connor 0-1-1

GNG- Patenaude 16-5-40, Mitchell 7-1-16, Corson 2-1-5, Warrick 1-2-4, Portas 1-1-3, Davis 0-1-1

3-pointers:
G (6) Axelsen 3, Michaud, Padgett, Raftice
GNG (4) Patenaude 3, Mitchell

Turnovers
G- 15
GNG- 8

Free throws
G: 16-28
GNG: 11-17

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