enlarge Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

Alex Bowe of Cape Elizabeth passes to a teammate after beating Maranacook's Ryan Martin to a loose ball Friday night during the Class B championship game at the Bangor Auditorium. Maranacook earned its second state title in three years with a 56-46 win.

BANGOR — Three key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter gave Maranacook a needed cushion, and the Black Bears pulled away from the foul line to win the Class B boys’ basketball state championship with a hard-fought 56-46 victory over Cape Elizabeth on Friday night at the Bangor Auditorium.

Ryan Martin led the Black Bears (22-0) with 26 points as Maranacook captured its second state title in three seasons.

Maranacook’s ability to hit 3-pointers was the difference. The Black Bears got all they could handle from Cape Elizabeth (19-3), which entered with a 16-game winning streak.

“I thought my guys did a heck of a job,” said Cape Coach Jim Ray. “You have to love our effort.”

The Capers led only once, at 34-32 midway through the third quarter. The game stayed tight until Maranacook got hot again from beyond the arc.

Martin got open off a screen by center Conrad Gilman and drilled his fourth 3-pointer to give his team a 51-46 lead with 3:05 left. The Capers started missing and were forced to foul, and the Black Bears scored their last five points from the line.

Alex Bowe led Cape with 15 points, while sophomore Andrew Dickey added 13.

“After losing last year in the regional quarterfinals, we were determined to go all the way this year,” said Martin, a three-time Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B player of the year.

After Martin made it a five-point game, Cape was called for an offensive foul, then got the ball right back with tight defense, something it did all game.

But the Capers had no luck scoring when they needed to most. Shaine Burks had a 3-pointer go in and out, then missed another.

Cape was called for traveling with 1:07 remaining. That pretty much sealed it, as the Black Bears converted at the line.

Mike Poulin and Will Bardaglio had the other 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for the Black Bears.

The last tie was at 40-40 after a drive by Bowe.

Bardaglio hit his 3-pointer from the side after shaking his defender at midcourt. Burks scored on a rebound to make it 43-42, but Poulin sank his 3-pointer to make it 46-42.

Dickey scored on a drive to keep Cape in it, but reserve Mike LaChance was wide open inside and scored. Bowe scored to make it a 2-point game again, but Martin, as he has done all year, hit the big basket.

“We had some plays that didn’t go our way in the fourth quarter,” said Ray. “We probably weren’t patient enough on offense and the ball got in the hands of people that it shouldn’t have been in.”

Trailing 25-16 in the second quarter, the Capers closed the half with a 9-2 spurt. Burks sparked the run with four points, along with some tight defense on Martin.

Ian Place started the run with a layup. Burks followed with two from line, then added a basket before Martin made two from the line. Andrew Dickey’s 3-pointer made it 27-25 at halftime.

“We wanted to make them work,” Ray said of Maranacook’s scorers. “This is the hardest working team I’ve coached. Unfortunately, there are no more games to play.”

Cape opened with Tom Ray guarding the sharpshooting Martin, then put Burks on Martin, who cooled off in the second quarter. He still finished with 15 points in the half. Burks and Cape center Ian Place had six points apiece.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at:
tchard@pressherald.com