BANGOR- The Southern Aroostook Warriors boys basketball team got 27 points from Jackson Mathers, 19 in the second half, to upset the second seeded Machias Bulldogs 67-59 in a Maine Principals’ Association Class D semifinal game Thursday night at the Cross Insurance Center.
It was a back and forth high tempo first half where neither team could pull away from one another as the Warriors led by as many as five and the Bulldogs led by four. Luis Morales, Tyler Batchelder and Mathers combined to score all the first quarter points for the Warriors as they led 16-14 after one period.
Machias sensational sophomore big man Jacob Godfrey had a double double just three minutes into the second period as he controlled the paint and the rebounds to keep Machias within three at halftime, 32-29. Godfrey had 14 points and 15 rebounds in the first half. Nolan Atvater got going for Southern Aroostook with seven second quarter points.
Southern Aroostook took their largest lead of the contest with a 11-2 run to start the third quarter. A Robert Lillis three-pointer, buckets by both Riley Robinson and Batchelder, a Mathers three-pointer and one for two at the line also from Batchelder made it 43-31 Warriors. Mathers scored 12 of the 20 Warrior points in the period. It was 52-40 Southern Aroostook heading to the fourth quarter.
The Warriors would keep the pressure on and build a lead of as many as 17 points at 63-46 with just over three minutes to play. Machias had some fight left in them as sophomore guard Jordan Grant knocked down two three-pointers and had eight points all in the fourth quarter off the bench as the Bulldogs got as close as eight but would run out of time. The Warriors went 7-10 from the line in the final quarter to help seal the win.
Machias, who finishes at 17-3, Godfrey finished with 25 points and a game high 23 rebounds. Along with Grants eight points, Mark Anthony also chipped in with eight.
Southern Aroostook, now 16-4, Mathers was the game high scorer with 27 points. Atvater finished with 11 while Batchelder had 10. Morales also had 9, which came all on three-point field goals in the first half.
Third seeded Southern Aroostook will now play top seeded Easton in the Class D Regional final Saturday at 10:45 a.m. at the Cross Insurance Center.
