Gorham 42

Cheverus 45

The Gorham Rams gave it their all in the second round of the Maine Mall Holiday Classic at the Portland Expo on Dec. 27, but they fell just short, coming up on the short end of a 45-42 score to Cheverus.

Gorham opened the game with a 3-0 lead, thanks to a three-pointer by senior guard Andrew Arena (Arena would finish with a game-high 20 points). Just under two minutes later, after a Cheverus hoop, senior guard Brian Jenkins (who finished with eight points) stole the ball under the hoop and laid it back in to give Gorham a 5-2 lead.

The game continued as a back-and-forth affair for much of the first period, with both teams trading hoops. Arena gave Gorham some breathing room with 3:30 left in the quarter when he dropped in a three that hit nothing but net to give Gorham an 11-6 lead.

After a Gorham defensive stop, Jenkins drove the lane and hit a runner to extend the Gorham lead to 13-6. A turnaround jumper by Gorham’s Mike Foustoukos (who finished with five points) with 2:20 left in the quarter extended the lead to 15-6, and a buzzer beating by Arena ended the quarter with Gorham on top 20-10.

However, Gorham’s luck evaporated in the second quarter. The Rams only managed to score three points in the quarter, on an Arena three-pointer with 3:41 left, and Cheverus overtook the Rams, and went into the halftime break leading Gorham 28-23.

After the break, Gorham came out determined to get back into the game. With 6:23 left, Arena hit a huge three to cut the Cheverus lead to 28-26. However, a Cheverus three-pointer on the next possession brought the lead back to five.

But Arena had an answer for that, hitting another huge three to bring the Rams within two. But in a case of dajA? vu, Cheverus came right back down the floor and hit another three to regain their five-point lead.

Gorham battled back throughout the quarter, and with 1:40 left, regained the lead when senior forward Issac Barnes hit a fadeaway to give Gorham a 35-34 lead. Barnes increased that lead about a minute later when he hit two free throws to give the Rams a 37-34 lead.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Gorham began to increase its lead, getting two free throws from Foustoukos to go up 38-34. But, as was the case all game, Cheverus battled right back getting a long three and then another hoop off a steal to jump out in front 39-38.

Cheverus increased the lead to 41-38 before Foustoukos found sophomore forward John Day under the basket for a layup to cut the lead to 41-40 with 4:40 left.

Both teams then got as cold as the snowy weather outside, going over two minutes without a score. Cheverus finally broke the drought, getting a hoop with two minutes left in regulation to go up 43-40.

Gorham senior forward Kyle Donaldson went to the line with 1:26 left and calmly hit both shots to bring Gorham back to a one-point deficit, 43-42.

After two Cheverus free throws gave them a 45-42 lead, Gorham had one last chance to pull the game out. With seven seconds left, Gorham got the ball to junior forward Doug Woods, but unfortunately, the shot refused to drop, and Cheverus hung on for the win.

Gorham returned to regular season action on Jan. 3 with a home game against Thornton Academy. The Rams’ next game is Jan. 5 as they hit the road to face Noble at 5 p.m.