MPA Tournament Update: Class B Regional Finals

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tournament play continues to role along in Maine, as we have now reached the <em>Regional Final</em> round in Class B.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In both the <em>South</em> and the <em>North</em>, there were slight upsets in the early going - with the top seed in the <em>South</em> bowing out in the regional semifinal and the second seed in the also being eliminated in that round.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With that being said, let's take a look at tonight's <em>Regional Final</em> matchups:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">B South: #2 Medomak Valley (17-3) vs. #4 Yarmouth (16-4)</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>How They Got Here:</em> <strong><em>Medomak Valley</em></strong> opened tournament play with a 57-41 quarterfinal victory over <em>#10 Lincoln Academy</em>. The Panthers followed that up with a 63-57 semifinal win over <em>#6 Poland</em>. <strong><em>Yarmouth</em></strong> started their tournament run with a 63-56 win over <em>#5 Leavitt</em> in the quarterfinals. After that, the Clippers knocked off the top overall seed, <em>York</em>, by a score of 77-72 in overtime in the semifinals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Previous Matchups:</em> <strong><em>Medomak Valley</em></strong> and <strong><em>Yarmouth</em></strong> met just one time in the regular season, all the way back on December 9th. In a game played at Medomak Valley, the Panthers defeated the Clippers by a score of 69-36.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Players to Watch:</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Medomak Valley</em></strong> has been paced all season long by their one-two punch of <strong><em>Kollin Donlin</em></strong> and <strong><em>Mason Nguyen</em></strong>. <em>Donlin</em>, a senior forward, has averaged 23.5 points per game so far in the tournament. He does a great job of controlling the glass and provides Medomak with a physical presence in the paint. <em>Nguyen</em>, a Mr. Basketball semifinalist, has averaged 22.5 points per game during the tournament run. The senior guard does a terrific job of creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates and doesn't shy away from having the ball in his hands in clutch moments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Yarmouth</em></strong> has gotten by all season with a balanced scoring attack, including having five players in double figures in the win over <em>Leavitt</em>. <strong><em>Adam Maxwell</em></strong> was terrific in the win over <em>York</em>, when he had 25 points. The sophomore forward cleans up around the rim and is a two-way force in the paint with his ability to score and block shots. <strong><em>Ian Lawrence</em></strong> and <strong><em>Owen Oranellas</em></strong> have averaged 16.0 and 14.0 points per game, respectively, in the tournament. Lawrence, a senior, is a good athlete that has the ability to score the ball at multiple levels. Oranellas, a junior, is a disruptive defender that creates plenty of scoring opportunities in transition for the Clippers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">B North: #1 Cony (18-2) vs. #3 Gardiner (17-3)</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>How They Got Here:</em> <strong><em>Cony</em></strong> kicked off their tournament run with a 63-51 victory over <em>#8 Presque-Isle</em>. The Ram followed that up with a 66-64 semifinal win over <em>#5 Ellsworth</em>. <strong><em>Gardiner</em></strong> opened the tournament with a 62-29 win over <em>#6 Erskine Academy</em> in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the Tigers took care of <em>#2 Hermon</em> by a score of 50-33.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Previous Matchups:</em> <strong><em>Cony</em></strong> and <strong><em>Gardiner</em></strong> met twice in the regular season, with the home team coming away victorious in both matchups. Gardiner won the first matchup, on December 27th, by a score of 97-90; while Cony took the win in the second game, on January 22nd, by the score of 75-69.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Players to Watch:</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Cony</em></strong> has arguably the best tandem left in the tournament, regardless of class, in senior <strong><em>Parker Morin</em></strong> and freshman <strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='2969341' first='Carter' last='Brathwaite']</em></strong>. Morin, a guard, can really score the basketball, particularly from behind the arc, and is averaging 23.5 points per game during the playoff run. Brathwaite was one of the stars of the regular season, as the freshman burst onto the scene and proved to be one of the most dynamic playmakers and scorers in the state. He's had a relatively quiet first two games of the state tournament (12.5 points per game), but, in Cony's two matchups against Gardiner this season, <em>Brathwaite</em> averaged 30.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Gardiner</em></strong> is another team that has a balance scoring attack; five players scored between 7 and 14 points in their quarterfinal win, while four scored between 8 and 14 points in the semifinal victory. <strong><em>Brady Atwater</em></strong> has had two strong showings in the tournament and is averaging 13 points and 8 rebounds per game. He gives Gardiner a two-way presence that is active on the glass and has the ability to score it around the rim. <strong><em>Brady Peacock</em></strong> is another player to watch for Gardiner. The senior is a <em>Maine McDonald's All Star</em> and has averaged 10.0 points per game in the tournament. <em>Peacock </em>was terrific in the two regular season matchups with Cony, averaging 21.5 points per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Keep an eye out for continued coverage from the MPA state tournament in the upcoming days!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->