Wiscasset Alumni men’s basketball team captured the Gold Ball at the Waldoboro First Baptist Church Men’s Basketball League championships on Monday. “We didn’t get one in high school, so we decided to go for one here,” player/manager Erik Matzell said.
Third seed Wiscasset defeated 6th seed Boothbay Yacht 72-51, and second seed Miles Memorial 69-53 to advance to the championship game against 4th seed Stonescape, which is made up of mostly Knox County players. Stonescape knocked off the number one seed Mid-Knight Auto in the semifinals. Wiscasset used their younger legs and hustle to beat Stonescape 77-64 and win the League championship.
The two teams battled in a tough 1st half, with Wiscasset holding a three-point edge at the break, 34-31. Mike Leighton scored the opening hoop of the 2nd half to make it a one-point game.
Wiscasset went on a 12-2 run, highlighted by three-pointers from Jason Dighton and Chris Hersom and a slam dunk from Chris Havens. Conrad Griffin and Jamie Jones also scored in the rally.
Trailing by 11, Stonescape battled back, scoring five straight hoops to pull within one, 46-45 with 11 minutes to go. Matzell settled two at the foul to boost Wiscasset’s lead to four, before Mike Geisler crashed the glass for two to again make it a one-point game.
Griffin hit back-to-back hoops, the second on a nifty feed from Havens, and Joe Gallant scored with Griffin assisting to boost Wiscasset’s lead to seven.
Stonescape pulled within five with seven minutes to play, but that was as close at they would come. Wiscasset sank nine of 12 foul shots in the final six minutes of play, and closed out the game with back-to-back dunks, including a reverse dunk from Havens and a slam dunk from Griffin.
Scoring for Wiscasset were Griffin 20, Havens 20, Chris Hersom 9 (7 for 8 foul line), Jamie Jones 9, E. Matzell 8 (4 for 4 foul line), Jason Dighton 6 (2-3’s), Joe Gallant 4 and Matt Hinkley 1. Scoring for Stonescape were Mike Geisler 16, Mike Leighton 14, Brad Scott 12, Kurt Snyder 7, Monte Haynes 5, Todd Snyder 4, Dante Ravelli 4, and Blake Nichols 2.
