It’ll be a celebration for the ages in Tiger Town. Trace Moody scored a game-high 20 points on Friday night, as Gardiner won the first ever boys basketball state championship in school history with a 58-54 victory over Yarmouth in the Class B final at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
Moody scored 11 of those 20 points the first half, as the Tigers outscored the Clippers 21-13 in the second quarter to build a 34-23 lead at halftime. Yarmouth didn’t go away easy cutting it to six after three periods, and in the fourth quarter slicing it to one with 3:30 remaining, and then two on several occasions late. Moody hit 4-4 at the line over the final 14 seconds to ice the win. Brady Peacock added 11 points and eight rebounds, while Issac Marquis chipped in eight points for Gardiner who ends up with a record of 19-3 in their first state final appearance since a 2012 loss to the Clippers. Yarmouth had four scorers in the game and they all scored in double figures, led by Evan Oranellas who had a game-high 22 points while grabbing six rebounds. Matthew LeBlanc and Owen Oranellas each had 11 points, while Ian Lawrence put in 10. LeBlanc had six rebounds and Lawrence grabbed seven boards and dished out six assists. The Clippers were seeking their fifth title and their first since 2022 as they finish as runner-up with a record of 17-5.
