AUGUSTA — The gap has narrowed significantly, but Greenville proved once again that it’s still the namesake nemesis of rejuvenated Rangeley in Class D South boys basketball.
Camden Harmon scored a team-high 19 points and 6-foot-2 center Adam Ethier added a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) to lead No. 3 Greenville past No. 2 Rangeley, 51-46, in a regional semifinal Wednesday morning at the Augusta Civic Center.
“For the year (Ethier’s) points per game average isn’t that high, but he averages 10 rebounds a game,” Greenville coach Joseph Pelletier said. “He does all the dirty work and doesn’t get the benefit from it. To see him show up in a big game like this, awesome.”
It marked the third consecutive season the Greenville Lakers ousted the Rangeley Lakers in the tournament. Greenville took the previous two meetings — both quarterfinal games — by a combined 111-60.
This one was much, much closer, but the end result was all too familiar for Rangeley.
“The Lakers versus Lakers battle, it’s been a tough one,” said Rangeley senior guard Nolan Boone, who scored a game-high 21 points. “They just have a little more experience than we do, but I thought we were evenly matched this year.”
Greenville (11-9) will play Forest Hills in the regional final at 2:45 p.m., Saturday at the Civic Center.
Rangeley finished 16-4 and exits the tournament knowing it was oh-so-close to reaching a regional final.
Rangeley trailed by as many as five early in the fourth quarter but it surged ahead 46-45 when Boone buried a deep 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:40 left in regulation.
“We were right there,” Rangeley coach Jeff LaRochelle said.
And then it wasn’t.
Ethier scored a tough inside basket and Greenville made its free throws in the final minute — many as a result of drawing fouls off tough offensive rebounds — to pull out victory.
“Our defense got a little lax,” said Rangeley junior Kenny Thompson, who scored 13 points. “It’s going to happen. We played two days ago (quarterfinal victory over Vinalhaven) and I think we just a got a little tired in the end.”
Added LaRochelle: “It’s a 32-minute game and it came down to the final minute. We fought for 30 minutes, 31 minutes. We can’t ask any more from the kids. A break here or there, one balls roll in, we get it.”
Rangeley never got that break, but it threatened to run away with the game with a strong start.
Rangeley opened the game with an 11-3 run, highlighted by six points from Boone.
Greenville, however, answered with an 11-2 run of its own to take a 14-13 lead after the first quarter.
Ethier and senior captain Chris Caiazzo connected for several big shots in the spurt.
“Greenville came to play, they didn’t roll over down 11-3,” LaRochelle said. “They kept to their gameplan. .. It’s been a problem for us at times this year. We start to take the lead, than jack shots. We did it again (Wednesday).”
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