Old Orchard cut down to size
Thomas Anderson, left, tries to sneak a pass around an Old Orchard defender to teammate Matt Craig (number five). Anderson, Craig and the Wiscasset High School boys varsity basketball team overcame a large deficit to defeat the Seagulls and advance in the Western Class C playoffs. BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
TRAVIS PADILLA pulls up for a jumper in the fourth quarter of the Wednesday, February 12 basketball game against the Old Orchard Beach Seagulls. Padilla scored 23 points to lead the Wolverines to a 66-59 victory. BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
COACH DANA Lawrence, right, gives a pep talk to his team during a fourth quarter timeout. Lawrence’s Wolverines notched a first-round victory Wednesday, February 12 over Old Orchard Beach. BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
MATT CRAIG (number five) flies through the air to shovel a pass to teammate Brandon Sprague (number 43). BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
Dale Peaslee, left, puts it down against an Old Orchard Beach defender. Peaslee scored nine to help Wiscasset pick up a first-round win. BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
Thomas Anderson, left, tries to sneak a pass around an Old Orchard defender to teammate Matt Craig (number five). Anderson, Craig and the Wiscasset High School boys varsity basketball team overcame a large deficit to defeat the Seagulls and advance in the Western Class C playoffs. BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
TRAVIS PADILLA pulls up for a jumper in the fourth quarter of the Wednesday, February 12 basketball game against the Old Orchard Beach Seagulls. Padilla scored 23 points to lead the Wolverines to a 66-59 victory. BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
COACH DANA Lawrence, right, gives a pep talk to his team during a fourth quarter timeout. Lawrence’s Wolverines notched a first-round victory Wednesday, February 12 over Old Orchard Beach. BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
MATT CRAIG (number five) flies through the air to shovel a pass to teammate Brandon Sprague (number 43). BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
Dale Peaslee, left, puts it down against an Old Orchard Beach defender. Peaslee scored nine to help Wiscasset pick up a first-round win. BEN BULKELEY/Wiscasset Newspaper
Sometimes, teams are ranked closely for a reason.
Take the Wiscasset and Old Orchard Beach High School boys varsity basketball teams. Wiscasset was ranked eighth and Old Orchard ninth in the Western Class C playoffs.
So, it was only fitting that the two closest-matched teams played a game that saw evaporating double-digit leads, ties, lead swaps, ejections and dramatics.
At the end, it was the Wolverines who came away with a 66-59 win.
The Wolverines (10-8 in the regular season) found themselves in a dogfight early with the Seagulls (12-5), who have traditionally been a power in Class C.
But, the combo of Travis Padilla (23 points), Brandon Sprague (13) and Matt Craig (10 points) along with Dale Peaslee (nine points) was able to upend the Seagulls eventually.
Old Orchard jumped out to an early 9-2 lead to begin the game, but Wiscasset was able to claw back and trim that lead to 12-11 after one quarter.
The second quarter saw Wiscasset use its speed to take the lead for the first time and close out the half with a 28-24 lead.
The third quarter looked like the Wolverines would blow-out the Seagulls, after Wiscasset jumped out to a 35-24 lead two minutes into the quarter.
Then Old Orchard found its long-range stroke.
Zach Seamans and Eric Hogan both connected from downtown and Joey Gildard poured in five of his game-high 27 points to trim the lead to 43-40 to end the third quarter.
But, Wiscasset wasn't able to be tripped up so close to the finish line.
Despite the Seagulls remaining within three points for the bulk of the fourth quarter, Padilla took over and had 11 points to ensure a Wiscasset victory.
Wiscasset went on to end the team’s season with a hard-fought loss, 66-56, to the top-ranked Dirigo Cougars in Augusta on Monday, Feb. 17. See story on front page.
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