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AUGUSTA — Beating Spruce Mountain is hard enough on a good night. When the Phoenix are shooting like this? It’s like sledding uphill.

Class C’s No. 1 defense stifled Mount View in the first half Thursday night, and Spruce Mountain’s offense caught fire from 3-point land in the second half to fuel a 62-48 victory in the South semifinals. The top-seeded Phoenix advance to Saturday’s regional final against Maranacook, back at the Augusta Civic Center.

“We are not a great shooting team; I think we’re 28 percent from 3 this year,” said Spruce Mountain coach Scott Bessey. “So we’re streaky, but when it happens, it’s always someone different, and when you have the green light and get it going, that’s what happens.”

Spruce Mountain made six 3-pointers in the third quarter, stretching a six-point lead at halftime into a 41-28 entering the fourth. Mount View (12-8), the No. 5 seed, got back within six in the final quarter but couldn’t come any closer.

“They easily could have buried us, but I just told our kids, ‘Look, we’ve got to stay focused and fight back,’” said Mount View coach Brandon Hurd. “We did, I really cut back into (their lead). The result wasn’t what we wanted, but when you play hard and lose, you can deal with that.”

Owen Kelvey scored 20 points for Spruce Mountain, which won its 18th consecutive game since starting 0-2. Kelvey and Hunter Buote (14 points) made four 3-pointers each and the Phoenix sank 11 overall.

Stuart Knowlton had 11 points and nine rebounds to lead Mount View.

“I started out a little rough, but my teammates told me to keep shooting, and I listened to them,” Kelvey said. “That gave me the confidence I needed, and I just kind of let it fly out there.”

Spruce Mountain’s run since 2026 started has been particularly impressive. With Thursday’s victory, the Phoenix have won all 13 games they’ve played in the calendar year by double digits. Their closest game in that span was a 12-point win over Mount View on Jan. 30.

The only single-digit win for Spruce Mountain since its 0-2 start was a 37-34 victory over Maranacook on New Year’s Eve. That game was also at the ACC, where the Phoenix will have to take down the Black Bears again Saturday to play for their first state championship. 

“It’s going to be a war, as it should be,” Bessey said. “You should never have an easy way, and what better way than to have Maranacook and Spruce at the Augusta Civic Center — not at the Expo. This place is going to be electric, and we are so excited.”