Madison’s Brayden Furbush lays up a shot against Carrabec's Desmond Robinson during a Class C South boys basketball quarterfinal game Monday at the Augusta Civic Center. At the left is Madison’s Jacob Linkletter and Carrabec’s Jackson Newton. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

AUGUSTA — The regulars who turn out to the Augusta Civic Center every February for the Maine high school basketball tournament may have to get used to hearing the phrase “Linkletter for 3!” over the public-address system for the next few years.

Jacob Linkletter, a 6-foot-2 freshman, scored 24 points — 18 on six 3-pointers — as the sixth-seeded Bulldogs defeated No. 3 Carrabec 42-27 in a Class C South boys basketball quarterfinal Monday. Linkletter scored 17 points, including five 3s, during a blistering second quarter that put the game out of reach.

Madison will play No. 2 Monmouth Academy, the defending state champion, on Thursday night in Augusta.

Linkletter’s teammates found him wide open throughout his big second quarter, and he took full advantage.

“They left me open, I shot it, and it went in,” Linkletter said.

And the scariest part? This wasn’t even the best he’s played, coach Jason Furbush said.

“He had a couple other quarters like that this year, but that’s up there, though, especially in the pressure situation like this,” said Furbush, who noted that Linkletter often gets face-guarded and doesn’t normally receive the looks he had Monday.

How Madison did it

In addition to Linkletter’s long-distance touch, Madison used an in-your-face defense, particularly in the first half, that forced Carrabec to rush its passes and shots and, ultimately, commit turnovers.

“We tried to speed them up, try to get some steals and some transition points, and it worked out well for us,” Linkletter said.

The key moment

With Madison up 12-6, Linkletter opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer. After a Carrabec basket, Linkletter drilled three straight 3s to extend Madison’s lead to 24-8, and his final 3 of the quarter — from NBA distance — made it 29-13. He took a breather with 1:50 left in the half, to a rousing round of applause from the student section.

Linkletter, who Furbush said has played basketball since he was in the second grade, scored only two points the rest of the way, but the damage was done.

“We’ve see this young man (Linkletter) play quite a few years now, and we knew he’s a very, very talented young man,” Carrabecc coach Erik Carey said. “We just didn’t play defense with the urgency that we’re accustomed to, and he took advantage of it.”

But don’t forget …

Carrabec’s Jackson Newton was no slouch himself, scoring 14 points in addition to five steals. He scored nine points in the third quarter, when the Cobras tried to get back into the game, but a couple Madison baskets — including a nifty Linkletter finger roll — gave the Bulldogs a 38-22 advantage after three.

“Jackson at times was the best player on the court,” Carey said. “We didn’t always put him in a position to give us the best opportunities.”

Statistical leaders

Madison: Jacob Linkletter (24 points), Brayden Furbiush (nine points).

Carrabec: Jackson Newton (14 points, five steals).

Neighbors but strangers

Although the schools are only 5 miles apart, they did not face each other in the regular season,

They said it

“We came here, close school, rivalry school, beat them.” — Jacob Linkletter

“Hats off to Madison’s defense. They’re a very good defensive team, without a doubt.” — Erik Carey