PORTLAND, Maine – Nolan Ames showed why he’s the favorite for the Mr. Maine Basketball award.
But the Portland Bulldogs showed why they’re a team for the ages after capping an improbable run from the No. 6 seed in the regional tournament to the Gold Ball with an emphatic 76-60 victory over Camden Hills in the Class A state final Saturday evening at the Cross Insurance Arena.
Ames scored 20 first half points to keep the Windjammers within three, but the Bulldogs (17-6), behind their smothering defense and balanced offense, gradually pulled away in the second half to win their first Gold Ball since 2017.
“This was a special year just because of the journey we had to take,” said longtime Portland coach Joe Russo, after winning his sixth state title. “All the credit goes to the players for sticking with it. We learned our lessons and slowly, we got healthy, then the chemistry took on a life of its own.”
Ames finished with a game-high 30 points for Camden Hills, but it wasn’t enough, as the Windjammers wound up 20-2.
Camden Hills coach Joel Gabriele said that Portland’s strength and physicality made it tough for his team.
“Things just didn’t go our way in the second half,” Gabriele said.
Both teams came out sizzling, as consecutive 3-pointers from Cordell Jones helped the Bulldogs open up a quick eight-point lead and despite Ames scoring eight points, Portland held a 19-12 advantage after one quarter.
After the Bulldogs went up nine in the second period, Ames put on a show, scoring 12 consecutive points to give Camden Hills its first lead, 31-30.
The Windjammers went up by four on a 3-pointer from Hollis Schwaim, but the final seven points of the half went to Portland, as Lucas LeGage’s 3-pointer was followed by a runner from freshman Ephraim Luseko for a 39-36 advantage at the break.
Ames had 20 points in the first half alone.
Gabriele said Ames had a “remarkable career” for the Windjammers and a “fantastic performance” on Saturday night.
“He carried us. He did everything he physically could,” Gabriele said about Ames. “He literally poured everything on to the floor. We expected nothing less.”
The game turned early in the third quarter, when Loic Ramazani drained a 3, drove for a layup, then LeGage got a leaner to roll in right before Ames was called for his third foul.
With Camden Hills within eight, 48-40, Maddox Meas drove for a layup, then LeGage hit a 3 in transition to help the Bulldogs take a 55-44 advantage to the fourth period.
There, Meas forced three consecutive turnovers, leading to layups from Jones, Ramazani and then LeGage to open up a commanding 63-44 lead with 6:38 to go.
“We were just pressuring the ball, anticipating, and I was able to get the steals and we made the plays happen,” Meas said.
The Windjammers crept back within 12, 65-53, on 3-pointers from Ames and Tucker Whitney. But Jones put it away with two more layups.
“I just wanted to make sure we got the win,” said Jones, who had 20 points. “My teammates found me at the right times and my strength and athleticism allowed me to get to the rim.”
LeGage added 19 points, Luseko tallied a dozen off the bench and Ramazani finished with 11.
“It’s hard to describe how excited I feel,” Ramazani said. “We believed we could beat anybody, but it was a long road to get here. It’s just special. I’m just happy for our team.”
Russo knew his team had to keep up with Ames.
“Nolan was tremendous, so we had to score with him,” Russo added. “At halftime, I said, ‘We have to keep scoring.’
Then the Portland coach made some adjustments to get the ball out of Ames’ hands.
“He still got some points, but at least the ball wasn’t in his hands for 16 minutes,” Russo said. “We made some timely baskets to stay ahead by double-digits.”
Whitley added 13 points and Kiefer Healey had 10 for the Windjammers.
“We feel like if we played in the second half like we did in the second quarter, the game would have been ours, but they controlled things,” Gabriele said.
The Windjammers are still searching for their first Gold Ball since winning Class B in 2011.
“The sting of defeat is pretty heavy right now, but we put together a heck of a run,” Gabriele added. “Credit to the boys for a great season. We just came up short.”
