AUGUSTA — Already in a tight game, the Messalonskee boys basketball team watched one of the state’s best players go berserk.
Nolan Ames of Camden Hills couldn’t be stopped in the fourth quarter Wednesday, erupting for 20 of his 36 points. The Eagles matched him basket for basket, though, and claimed a 63-61 win in a Class A North semifinal at the Augusta Civic Center.
The victory sends the top-seeded Eagles to Friday’s regional final against No. 2 Hampden Academy (15-5) — a rematch of year’s final.
“That was amazing,” said Messalonskee’s Ty Bernier. “The crowd was electric, and we went back-and-forth — block-block, score-score. It was such a fun game to play, and it’s great to be able to win it.”
How Messalonskee did it
• Ames reached 1,000 points for his career Wednesday, but every time he score in the fourth quarter, the Eagles (18-2) answered. Ty Bernier had 11 points of his own in the final quarter, and Parker Reynolds hit a clutch 3-pointer that gave Messalonskee the lead.
• Fifth-seeded Camden Hills (10-10) played a clean game with just eight turnovers, but so too did Messalonskee. The Eagles committed just 10 turnovers and stayed out of foul trouble, with just 12 team fouls.
• While Camden Hills (28 rebounds) matched Messalonskee (27) on the boards and took 17 more shots, the Eagles made the most of their attempts, shooting 23 of 41 from the field to the Windjammers’ 24 of 58.
What it means
• Messalonskee has won 13 consecutive games and remains unbeaten in 2025. The Eagles have not lost since a 77-51 defeat to Camden Hills in Rockport on Dec. 30.
• After a heartbreaking 44-43 loss to Hampden in last year’s regional final, Messalonskee gets another shot at the Broncos. The Eagles beat Hampden 45-36 in the only regular-season matchup.
“We don’t need any (motivation),” said Messalonskee’s Parker Reynolds. “We’ve got revenge; that’s all we’ve got.”
They said it
“(It came down to) our guys’ grit, motivation and experience. They’ve been here before, and when they got down, they didn’t get rattled. Ames was obviously the best player on the floor tonight, but we did what we could on the defensive end and were able to match him with a few scores of our own. It was enough in the end.” — Messalonskee coach Sam Smith
“We knew they were going to make tough buckets, so we just had to control what we could control: the free throws, the turnovers, and getting quality offensive possessions. I think we pretty much did that toward the end.” — Ty Bernier
“(Ty Bernier) is a McDonald’s All-Star; he’s averaging 19 (points) a game this season, and he was first-team All-KVAC. There’s a reason he’s one of our go-to guys, and he stepped up for us when we needed him most.” — Sam Smith
Stat leaders
• Camden Hills: Nolan Ames (36 points, 10 rebounds), Teagan Lowe (eight points, six rebounds)
• Messalonskee: Ty Bernier (22 points), Parker Reynolds (14 points, nine rebounds), Ryan Parent (12 points, six rebounds)
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