enlarge John Ewing/Staff Photographer

It was twirl-the-net time for Lake Region for the third straight year. Erica Webb, left, and Renee Nicholas did the honors.

enlarge John Ewing/Staff Photographer

Paige Wyman of Falmouth slips past the Lake Region defense for a basket Saturday during Lake Region’s 37-33 victory in the Western Class B championship game.

The Lake Region High girls’ basketball team is an unlikely dynasty.

It doesn’t have a 20-point scorer. It doesn’t play a flashy style. It isn’t physically imposing.

What it does have, after Saturday’s 37-33 victory over Falmouth at the Cumberland County Civic Center, is three consecutive Western Class B championships.

And top-ranked Lake Region (19-2) accomplished its latest title in the same method as its previous two: with grit, timely contributions from everyone on the roster and defense. Plenty of defense.

After falling behind by seven points in the second quarter, the Lakers held Falmouth to five field goals over the final 18:15. They went on a 15-0 run – the final eight points of the second quarter, the first seven of the third – to take control.

“Our kids have really bought into the way we want to play,’’ said Coach Paul True. “They’re very, very unselfish, and every single day they come to work and want to play hard.’’

And when the Lakers needed someone to seal the title, they looked to senior Renee Nicholas – the winner of the Mike DiRenzo Award, given to the tournament’s outstanding player/sportsman. Nicholas, who led the Lakers with 12 points, hit four foul shots in the final 24 seconds to hold off the Yachtsmen, who finished 18-3, with all three losses to Lake Region.

“I felt like it was my time, my senior year, time to get it done,’’ said Nicholas.

Lake Region is the first Western Class B team to win three straight regional titles since Gorham – now in Class A – won four from 1978-81.

The Lakers, looking for their first state championship since 1975, will play Waterville, which has won 43 consecutive games, at 7 p.m. Friday at the Bangor Auditorium. Waterville won last year’s state final between the schools, 52-51 in overtime.

Falmouth had early control, twice opening a seven-point lead early in the second quarter. It was 19-13 after a Paige Wyman layup with 2:15 left in the half. But the Yachtsmen didn’t score for the next 5:46, with Lake Region taking a 28-19 lead.

“We allowed them to take us out of our game,’’ said Falmouth Coach George Conant. “That’s not to say that they weren’t playing great defense. It wasn’t unexpected. Hats off to them.

“That’s where you want to be, right there. We’re not there yet.’’

Erica Webb began the 15-0 streak with a foul shot. After she missed the second, Nicholas got an offensive rebound basket to make it 19-16. Following a Falmouth miss, Webb scored inside to pull the Lakers within one.

Then, with 10 seconds left in the half, Meghan Craffey threw in a 25-foot 3-pointer from the left wing to give Lake Region its first lead. Asked if she knew she was standing beyond the NBA 3-point line, Craffey said, “No, I didn’t. I just let it go. I heard my coach say, ‘Shoot it Meg.’ So I shot it.”

Lake Region then came out with a 7-0 run to start the third. Abby Hancock hit a 3-pointer, Krysti Leach a 10-footer and Nicholas a jumper to push the lead to 28-19 with 5:53 left in the quarter.

Andrea Doyle hit a 3-pointer with 4:29 left to end Falmouth’s drought, but it never could overcome the deficit.

The Yachtsmen got within three twice and then within two on a Morgan Furman 3-pointer with nine seconds remaining that made it 35-33. But Nicholas, who had five defensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, was fouled with 6.3 seconds left and hit both foul shots again to seal the title.

“We trust her,’’ said Craffey. “That’s her thing. When we need a big play, she’s there for us.’’

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at: mlowe@pressherald.com