OLD TOWN- The Orono Red Riots put four players in double figures led by Will Francis who had a game high 22 points on Saturday afternoon, in defeating the Old Town Coyotes 62-52 at MacKenzie Gymnasium in a Class B boys basketball matchup.
Old Town (4-2) did have a pair of early leads in the first quarter, but that was also the last leads they had. Orono went on an 11-2 run and led 14-6 behind seven points from Ben Francis. The Coyotes got a three-pointer from Brayden Brown to slice the deficit to 16-11 early in the second period, but that is as close as they’d get. The Red Riots would lead 26-17 at halftime. The guests started to blow it open some in the third quarter as they came out of the locker room and went on a 12-0 run, sparked by three-pointers by Pierce Walston and Ellis Spaulding, two baskets for Will Francis, and yet another bucket from Spaulding to make it 38-19. Will Francis had eight points in the third and eight more in the fourth, as he scored 16 of his 22 in that second half with many coming off assists from Walston. Orono would take their biggest lead at 59-39 halfway through the final period. Old Town got a spark off the bench from Alex Fernandes who put in 12 points in the fourth. The Coyotes did cut it to an eight point game late but ran out of time, as the Red Riots hung on and bounced back from their first loss which was suffered on Thursday in Ellsworth.
Will Francis added seven rebounds to his 22 points in the win for 6-1 Orono. Ben Francis and Pierce Walston both finished with 13 points, with Walston grabbing four rebounds and dishing out eight assists. Spaulding had 12 points and seven rebounds. Brown finished with 17 points and five rebounds in the loss for Old Town. Fernandes was the only other Coyotes player in double figures with his big fourth quarter with 12 points. Orono will return to action Wednesday night when they host Bucksport, while Old Town will host MDI on Tuesday.
Recap/photos/video by Chris Lessner
ORO (6-1) 14 12 18 18- 62
OLD (4-2) 6 11 14 21- 52
Rebounds- Orono 25, Old Town 27
Free throws- Orono 3-9, Old Town 3-6
Three-point goals- Orono- Walston 2, Spaulding 2/Old Town- Brown 2, Fernandes 2, Thibeault
