BANGOR- The Bucksport Golden Bucks used a strong fourth quarter Thursday night to get by the gritty Hodgdon Hawks 49-44 in a Maine Principals’ Association Class C boys semifinal game at the Cross Insurance Center.
The two teams were dead even in the first half. Jimmy Buzzell and Daden Palmer combined for nine of the 10 points for Hodgdon in first quarter while Riley McLeod had six for Bucksport as the game was tied 10-10 after the opening eight minutes of action.
Both teams only had two scorers in the second quarter as we were dead even in score once again. Tyler Pye and McLeod had the nine for the Bucks while Buzzell and Wyatt Foster had the nine for the Hawks and the game was 19-19 at the half.
Palmer got hot for Hodgdon in the third quarter. He nailed two from three-point range and had a put back layup for eight points. Pye had six for Bucksport but the Hawks held a very slim 32-31 lead headed to the final quarter.
Bucksport opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run on McLeod and Hayden Craig buckets and also an unconventional three point play by Pye. The Bucks stetched the run to a 11-2 spurt and was in control down the stretch taking an eight point lead at 42-34. Buzzell and Palmer both hit late three-pointers for the Hawks who cut it to three two times in last 1:45 of the game but the Bucks closed it out with key free throw shooting and was 6-9 at the charity stripe in the quarter.
Hodgdon, the seventh seed who finishes their season at 12-9, they were led by Buzzell who finished with 19 points and five rebounds. Palmer had 16 points and six rebounds. Palmer had 12 out those 16 from three point range, knocking down four from outside the arc as the Hawks made six in the game to only one for Bucksport.
For the Bucksport Golden Bucks, the third seed who improves to 16-4, Pye led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds. McLeod had 17 points, nine rebounds and a blocked shot. Kyle Jackson also chipped in 10 points.
Bucksport now advances to the regional final Saturday night at 8:45 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center to play the top seeded George Stevens Academy Eagles who advanced with a 29 point win over Schenck in Friday’s second semifinal.
