By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
BANGOR — Even though three-point field goals were being converted at a record-setting pace, the inside game of the Jonesport-Beals Royals proved to be too much to handle for the Washburn Beavers Thursday night.
In an offensive display unlike any other at this year’s tournament, the Jonesport-Beals withstood Washburn’s accuracy from the perimeter to the tune of an 84-72 triumph in the Eastern Maine Class D semifinal.
Washburn was a mind-boggling 20 for 39 from beyond the arc. After going 10 for 20 in the first half from long distance, the Beavers’ actually improved their percentage by going 10 for 19 after intermission. Three players were responsible for a bulk of the marksmanship, as Mitchell Worcester was 8 for 17, Mason Turner 6 for 9 and Jordan McLaughlin 5 for 7. Nick Bragg netted the team’s only other three-pointer.
Along the way, the Beavers either tied or set three tournament records. Worcester went in the books for breaking the previous mark of seven by an individual, which belonged to Calvary Chapel’s Josh Madden in 2004. As a team, Washburn shattered the previous single-game record of 13, also held by Calvary Chapel that same year, and tied Calvary’s record of three-pointers in a tournament with 30.
Jonesport-Beals started in a triangle-and-two defense, with Garrett Beal guarding Worcester and Matthew Jenkins on McLaughlin, but abandoned it early on “Washburn was running a little motion against it and that destroyed it,” according to Royals’ coach Vinnie MacLean.
“They went into a zone defense and it turned out good because we came out on fire,” Worcester said.
MacLean was shaking his head after in disbelief when discussing the Beavers’ offensive performance.
“Wow, I never saw anything like it,” MacLean said. “My point guard came up to me and asked “Coach, what do I do?’ and I told him you just better start picking them up at halfcourt.”
In the end, it was Jonesport-Beals and the team’s imposing front line of 6-6 Justin Alley, 6-5 Zachary Smith and 6-5 Beal which turned out to be the difference in the game. The Royals bullied the Beavers’ interior defense by continuously attacking the basket. Jonesport-Beals shot for an impressive field goal percentage as well, making 28 of its 46 two-point attempts in the game, many coming on putbacks and layups, and the team was also 5 of 11 on three-pointers.
Washburn led by nine points (18-9) 5-1/2 minutes into the contest, having connected on its first four attempts and hitting on a total of five (three by Worcester and one each by Turner and McLaughlin) during the stretch. But Jonesport-Beals had the first of three big scoring runs, the first a 10-1 spurt which tied the game 30 seconds into the second quarter.
After Washburn went up 28-24 with 3:38 to play in the half thanks to three more three-pointers (two by Worcester and one by McLaughlin), the Royals then proceeded to score 12 unanswered points – eight by Alley and all coming from five feet away from the basket or closer. Two more threes by Turner in the final 20 seconds of the first half cut the lead to two (36-34) at intermission.
Jonesport-Beals’ third big run came early in the third period. The team from Washington County changed up its defense and forced numerous miscues by the Beavers. The Royals scored 23 of the first 28 points of the second half, with Beal netting a pair of threes but the rest of the points coming either on inside buckets or free throws.
“We had a little success last year in the tournament trapping out of a 1-3-1 zone, so we decided to give it a try,” MacLean said. “We also went with a fullcourt 1-2-1-1 on makes, and we ended up getting a few turnovers off it and built the lead.”
The Royals’ lead reached 20 (59-39) before the Beavers got hot again from the outside. McLaughlin spearheaded the flurry by hitting a pair of long-range bombs late in the third quarter, while Worcester connected on a half-court shot at the buzzer to make it a manageable 11-point margin.
“It was ‘here we go again,’ bombs away,” MacLean said.
The Beavers continued to peck away in the fourth, hitting on consecutive rare two-pointers (a layup by Connor Fitzpatrick and a steal and fast-break basket by Worcester) to make it 63-58 with 4:50 to play. Jonesport-Beals guard Matthew Alley netted a jumper from the foul line and Beal banged in a pair of free throws in a seven-second span, and Washburn never got closer than six the remainder of the contest.
Worcester finished with 30 points, while Turner had 19 and McLaughlin 17 for the Beavers, which ended its season with a 17-3 record.
Beal, a sophomore, led the Royals with 28 points. Justin Alley had 18, Matthew Alley 15 and Smith 14 for the winners.
