WINSLOW — The Winslow boys basketball team didn’t play its best game of the season Tuesday night.
But the Black Raiders showed grit and made key shots at the right time. Winslow also held off a furious comeback to beat Morse, 46-45, in a Class B battle at Mansfield Gym.
Senior guard Braden Rodrigue scored a game-high 20 points for the Black Raiders (3-1), who climbed into third place in the Class B North standings with the win. Fellow seniors Brody Willette (11 points) and Brady Poulin (10 points) each knocked down three 3-pointers, including key shots in the fourth quarter that sealed the game.
“It was a rough win, but we got it done and that’s all that matters,” Rodrigue said.
Senior forward Waylon Rhorer had 14 points and six rebounds for Morse (1-2), while Gage Suitter, also a senior forward, added 13 points and six rebounds.
The Shipbuilders outscored the Black Raiders 10-8 in the first quarter. But Rodrigue scored 12 of his 20 points in the second quarter, slashing his way through the Morse defense and routinely pulling up for midrange jumpers. His offensive outburst gave Winslow a 28-21 lead at halftime.
Morse kept fighting, beating Winslow on the boards, getting second chances and outscoring the Black Raiders in the second half. By the fourth quarter, the Shipbuilders cut the deficit to one point. Poulin nailed a 3-pointer late for the Black Raiders, but Suitter immediately answered with his own 3-pointer on Morse’s next possession.
“I feel we contested their shooting, but we didn’t come away with the rebounds,” Winslow head coach Ken Lindlof said. “We’re generally going to be smaller than most teams, but that’s no excuse, we still need to put a body on (someone) and pull a rebound. Last game, everything was going in, shooting-wise. You have to learn how to survive when you’re not shooting well and manufacture baskets.”
With 1:06 left, Winslow held on to a 46-45 lead. Morse had one more possession off a Winslow turnover but couldn’t get off a clean shot.
“That’s a good Winslow team, we knew they were going to be tough,” Morse head coach Stephen Stewart said. “They execute well; they do everything pretty well. To put together four quarters of good basketball against them is quite an accomplishment. We’re learning and kind of building on every game. Today, I think we brought forth a heck of an effort and gave ourselves a chance to win at the end.”

Winslow’s Braden Rodrigue, left, and an unidentified Morse player go for a loose ball Tuesday in Winslow. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel
“We played tough towards the end (of the game),” Rodrigue said. “We rebounded a little better, we hit shots down the stretch. I think that secured the win for us.”
In addition to Tuesday’s win, the Black Raiders have victories over defending Class C North champion Mount View (52-33) and fellow B North foe Erskine Academy (69-42).
“We’re still figuring out set plays and some (other) plays (early in the season),” Lindlof said. “We just have to go back to work. We have one day to get ready for (Maine Central Institute), another day to practice, and then we go to Leavitt.”
Added Rodrigue: “Every practice, we come in and practice hard. I think this is one of the best teams I’ve been on. We just come in, work hard and get things done. I think that’s the best thing about us.”
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