BANGOR- The Orono Red Riots put four players in double figures on Friday night, and advanced to a Wednesday semifinal with a 59-54 win over the Winslow Black Raiders in a Class B boys North quarterfinal game played at the Cross Insurance Center.
The teams went back and forth in the first quarter, with Orono getting six points from Pierce Walston and Winslow helped by five from Andrew Poulin and it was 12-12 after the first eight minutes. The Black Raiders used a 10-4 run to start the second sparked by two baskets from Poulin, one from the three-point arc for a 22-16 advantage. A 7-0 run though on a three-pointer by Will Francis and two buckets from Ellis Spaulding gave Orono a 23-22 halftime edge.
Orono continued that to a 13-0 run in the third quarter with the first two baskets being from three-point range by Spaulding and Ben Francis to extend it to 29-22. The Red Riots led by as many as 12 and 39-31 headed to the fourth. #7 seed Winslow (13-6) would come storming back however. Nick Girard would tie the game from three-point range with 3:05 left to play at 47-47. Walston put Orono up for good with 1:45 left at 51-49, and after a Black Raiders turnover Spaulding nailed a three-pointer to put it away with just over a minute to play.
Spaulding was the high scorer in the win for Orono with 17 points and seven rebounds. Walston finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Also in double figures was Ben Francis with 12, and Will Francis with 11 points. The #2 seeded Red Riots (17-3) will play #11 John Bapst in a semifinal on Wednesday night at 7:05. Poulin had 23 points and Jason Reynolds had 16 points and seven rebounds for Winslow in the defeat.
WIN 12 10 9 23- 54
ORO 12 11 16 20- 59
ORONO (59)
Spaulding 6-2-17, P. Walston 6-4-16, B. Francis 5-1-12, W. Francis 3-2-11, Alicea-Santiago 1-1-3, Kenney
Rebounds- 25
Free Throws- 10-16
Three-point goals- W. Francis 3, Spaulding 3, B. Francis
WINSLOW (54)
Poulin 10-1-23, Reynolds 6-2-16, Girard 3-0-9, Akoa 1-0-2, Rodrique 1-0-2, Boucher 1-0-2, Bourget, Brockway, Quirion
Rebounds- 17
Free Throws- 5-7
Three-point goals- Girard 3, Poulin 2, Reynolds 2
Orono guard Pierce Walston battles Winslow forward Antoine Akoa for a rebound during a Class B boys North quarterfinal game in Bangor on Friday, February 18, 2022. Orono won 59-54. Photo by Lisa Prescott
