AUGUSTA — The Hampden Academy boys basketball team is tough to beat if it can put the ball in the basket. The Broncos’ problem is doing that consistently.
Even as one of the top teams in Class A North, Hampden is eighth in the 10-team region in scoring at 51.6 points per game. Yet with the way the Broncos play defense, one brief run can be all it takes — and with their season on the line, they got it.
Hampden dominated the second half to claim a 40-32 victory over Gardiner in a regional quarterfinal showdown Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center. The win sent the No. 2 Broncos (15-4) to Wednesday’s semifinals against third-ranked Brewer (16-3).
“Our defense was stingy, and it kept us in the game until we could start making some shots,” said Hampden coach Russ Bartlett. “We need to find offense wherever we can because we struggle to score, and luckily, we had enough tonight.”
How Hampden did it
• After trailing 20-12 early in the second half, the Broncos outscored No. 7 Gardiner (9-10) 28-12 down the stretch thanks to key baskets from Liam Henaghen, Aiden Kochendoerfer and Miles Shain.
• With Gardiner also struggling to make shots, Hampden’s ability to deny the Tigers second-chance opportunities — Gardiner had just two offensive rebounds and 16 rebounds total — made the comeback possible.
What it means
• Despite Hampden losing two of its best players (Zach McLaughlin and J.J. Wolfington) from last year’s regional title-winning team, its Class A North leading scoring defense (44.2 points per game) has propelled it back to the Northern Maine semis.
• Gardiner, which was missing one of its best players in Brady Atwater, hopes the experience gained from reaching the tournament stage will pay dividends for a program set to return four starters from this unit next year.
“It’s a good experience for our guys, and that’s the goal (to build on this),” said Gardiner coach Aaron Toman. “Coming up here was a treat, and we hope to do this consistently, but we can’t take anything for granted; the kids have to work hard to make sure we’re back here next year.”
They said it
“Hampden Academy did what Hampden Academy does. They make things difficult for you offensively; they’re kind of like a boa constrictor. My fear all week long was how we’re going to score the basketball. They’re one of the best defenses in our conference, and you saw why today.” — Aaron Toman
“(Gardiner has) kids who compete and a lot of guys who can score, so you have to respect their offense. I thought we did a good job of keeping them off the glass today because we’re bigger, and I thought we did a good job of getting second-chance opportunities.” — Russ Bartlett
Stat leaders
• Gardiner: Brady Peacock (game-high 16 points), Anthony Rivera (seven points)
• Hampden: Liam Henaghen (11 points, nine rebounds), Aiden Kochendoerfer (11 points)
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