Boys basketball: Winslow fends off Lawrence in tight affair

Lawrence's Parker Higgins (11) looks to pass the ball as he is defended by Winslow H's Jason Reynolds and Lucas Boucher (5) in the first half of a boys basketball game Tuesday in Winslow. Michael G. Seamans

WINSLOW — The Winslow boys basketball team held off Lawrence in a tightly contested game Tuesday night to earn a 63-61 win in a matchup of Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference heavyweights.

Winslow (10-1) got out to a 15-8 lead early behind eight points from Andrew Poulin. Lawrence answered to pull back within two at 17-15 with back-to-back Dane Zawistowski buckets, and Conner Nutting hit a 3-pointer to tie it at 19 moments later before a Poulin floater provided the final points of the quarter for the Black Raiders.

Poulin then continued his strong half into the second quarter with three more baskets as Winslow stretched its lead to 29-22. Lawrence (8-4) cut the deficit to as little as one late in the half, though the Black Raiders would push it to their biggest advantage at 45-35 midway through the third quarter after leading 34-30 at half.

Lawrence fought back to make it a one-possession game in the fourth on four separate occasions, even getting back within a point at 55-54. Yet Winslow never let the Bulldogs in front as Jason Reynolds used an eight-point quarter that included a pair of clutch free throws late to seal the win.

Poulin had a game-high 22 points for Winslow, and Reynolds added 20 points and 12 rebounds. The Black Raiders also got eight points from Braden Rodrigue and six points and five rebounds from Matt Quirion.

Zawistowski had 20 points for Lawrence to go along with three rebounds and three steals, and Nutting (16 points, four rebounds) and Gavin Lunt (10 points, six rebounds) joined him in double figures. Lucas Campbell added eight points and nine boards for the Bulldogs.

Lawrence’s Parker Higgins (11) looks to pass the ball as he is defended by Winslow H’s Jason Reynolds and Lucas Boucher (5) in the first half of a boys basketball game Tuesday in Winslow. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel

The win was the eighth in a row for Winslow, which jumped up to second in the Class B North standings with the win. It’s a victory that could also pay dividends for the Black Raiders in the Heal points all year with Lawrence likely to finish with a winning record in Class A.

“They’ve got a nice record, so it’ll be worth some Heal points for us,” said Winslow head coach Ken Lindlof. “It was a big game for us, and it was a matter of playing hard and toughing it out against a good team, and we were able to do that.”