AUGUSTA — The Valley boys basketball team found itself in a close game against Rangeley during a Class D South quarterfinal game Monday afternoon at the Augusta Civic Center.
And then the No. 2 Cavaliers pulled away in the second half to take a resounding 62-27 victory over the No. 7 Lakers.
Guard Harry Louis, an eighth-grader, scored a game-high 17 points for Valley (11-4), which will face No. 6 Pine Tree (8-11) in a regional semifinal at 10 a.m., Thursday.
Fellow Valley eighth-grader Fisher Tewksbury scored 16 points. Trevor Dolbier finished with 13 points to pace Rangeley (5-11).
Rangeley hit three consecutive 3-pointers to pull even at 15-15 early in the second second quarter.
However, in the final minute of the second quarter, Valley’s Louis had back-to-back fastbreak layups to stretch Valley’s lead to 26-17 heading into halftime.
Valley then dominated the second half.
The Cavaliers opened the third with a 13-2 run to pull ahead 39-19 with 4:30 left in the quarter.
Rangeley’s season-long injury problem showed up Monday afternoon as center Chase Charmichael started the game but quickly exited with a nagging injury.
Valley’s Fisher Tewksbury, left, takes the ball to the basket against Rangeley defenders Austin Hathaway (13) and Trevor Dolbier (23) during a Class D South boys basketball quarterfinal game Monday at the Augusta Civic Center. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
“You look at that final score, it looks like a blowout, but we were right there at the half,” Rangeley coach Jeff LaRochelle said. “Then when it starts to slip, we get down. Not having my center, Chase, gives me one less guy to sub in. Losing him hurts and the whole year has been that way.
“We’ve been injured constantly and not being able to put a run together. Then we had eight games in 10 days and you’re literally drawing everything on the chalkboard and not being able to look at anything. We just got tired, no close-outs, hands down.”
With three minutes left, Valley guards Louis and sophomore Ryon West traded baskets on three consecutive fastbreaks to make it 47-24.
After Valley amassed a 31-point lead after three quarters, many of the starters for both teams stayed on the bench in the fourth.
LaRochelle said rebounding was a problem for the Lakers in the second half.
“We didn’t rebound at all,” he said. “We missed rebounds at the foul line, which I have said all year has been a problem. At least when we rebound, we are in the game. We turn and then we are at the liberty of where the ball hits the rim. Even if you get the rebound you still don’t block out the next shot. There were times they had three rebounds in a row.”
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