WINSLOW — The Winslow boys basketball team rained threes on rival Waterville in front of a standing-room only crowd Friday night at Mansfield Gymnasium. And the visiting Purple Panthers never had a chance to dry off.

Sophomore Trevor Lovely set the tone for the Black Raiders with a pair of 3-pointers from the right side. Winslow went on to hit nine threes, including four from senior Justin Murray, en route to a 60-46 victory.

“You wouldn’t believe it, it’s crazy,” Murray said of the rivalry. “A lot goes on all week, we just try to keep it on the floor.”

Murray finished with a game-high 23 points, all of them coming from behind the arc or the free-throw line. Lovely connected on three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points while Brandon Labrie and Connor Wildes each had one.

“When we come out shooting hot, we can stick with about any team,” Murray said. “But living and dying by the three is not really great.”

Waterville (8-6) never led in the game. Each time they got close, the Black Raiders (9-5) answered with a three.

“Overall we’ve been playing some pretty good basketball,” said Waterville coach Jason Briggs, whose Panthers have big wins against Leavitt and Oceanside this season. “But credit them. They shot real well behind the arc.”

Waterville got within four, 25-21 at the half, thanks to five late points from Max Brown (12 points, seven rebounds). But the Panthers turned the ball over on their first four possessions of the second half and Winslow took advantage. Murray fed Caleb Hill for a layup, then hit a free throw and a 3-pointer from the left side. Hill cashed in a rebound and suddenly it was 33-21. Murray hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game near the end of the third quarter and when he missed a final shot, freshman Nason Lanphier was there for the rebound at the buzzer.

“He’s a competitor,” Winslow coach Jared Browne said of Murray. “This was his type of game. He was into it, the crowd was into it and he hit the clutch shots when he needed to.”

The Panthers tried to get the ball inside to Chris Hale, Brown and John-Peter Michaud and were successful at times. Hale finished with 11 points and six rebounds, but Winslow’s big men — Austin Ireland, Jesse Audet and Cody Morrison — did a nice job limiting their chances.

“Our big guys are playing well right now, too,” Browne said. “It’s not just the Murray and Trevor show.”

The Panthers made it interesting with a 12-0 run early in the fourth quarter. Brandon Braley opened it with a 3-pointer and Hale capped it with a three, to make it 50-41. But the Raiders put the game away from the line as Murray made 8 of 8 down the stretch.

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

Copy the Story Link