SCARBOROUGH—Scarborough’s boys’ basketball team has a new look and some unfamiliar names this winter, but the Red Storm can still get up the floor, run the opposition ragged and hit shots.

Tuesday evening at Alumni Gymnasium, Scarborough answered everything visiting Portland could throw at it and pulled away down the stretch to continue its fast start to the season.

The Bulldogs led for much of the first quarter before an 8-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer from senior Noah Huntington, produced a 17-15 Red Storm lead after eight minutes.

Early in the second period, a 3-point shot from junior Adam Fitzgerald put Scarborough in front to stay and the Red Storm held a 33-26 advantage at the half.

Portland crept within four late in the third quarter, but Scarborough junior Carter Blanche converted a critical three-point play, then made a layup to make it 49-40 heading for the final stanza.

There, the Bulldogs cut the deficit to 51-45 on a bank shot from sophomore Maddox Meas, but the next seven points went to the home team, capped by a Blanche 3-ball, and the Red Storm went on to a 61-53 victory.

Blanche led all scorers with 21 points, while Fitzgerald, a transfer from Skowhegan, added 16 points, helping Scarborough improve to 2-0 on the young season, dropping Portland to 0-2 in the process.

“It’s never easy against Portland,” said Red Storm coach Phil Conley. “They’ll win their fair share of games. What I liked most about our team is how we battled. It’s a game of runs. We stopped some of their runs and I thought we were outstanding defensively tonight.”

New faces

Both teams got all the way to their respective regional finals a year ago and expect to contend again this winter.

Portland, which let a halftime lead slip away in a 43-34 setback to eventual champion Windham in the Class AA North Final to finish 16-5, began the 2024-25 season last Friday with a 65-60 loss at Bangor.

Scarborough, which was beaten by Gorham, 46-33, in the Class AA South Final to also wind up 16-5 last winter, began its new season with a 67-50 win at Bonny Eagle Friday.

The teams hadn’t met since Dec. 17, 2019, when the host Red Storm prevailed, 52-48.

Tuesday, the Bulldogs looked to beat Scarborough for the first time since Jan. 12, 2019 (59-40), but instead, the Red Storm again took care of business, showing plenty of depth and promise in the process.

Scarborough junior Carter Blanche, who had a game-high 21 points, drives to the basket as Portland sophomore Maddox Meas defends. The Red Storm prevailed, 61-53. Photos courtesy Kneka Smith.

Portland started fast, as junior Lucas LeGage made a layup after a steal and Meas drove for a layup, but Scarborough countered, as after junior Will MacDonald scored on a runner, Fitzgerald drained a 3-ball in transition and Fitzgerald set up Blanche for a layup and a 7-4 lead.

After Meas and junior Layton Garriepy traded layups, Meas scored on a leaner after a nice move, senior Danny Ferrante made a layup, and after LeGage grabbed an offensive rebound, he got the ball back from Ferrante and sank a 3 for a 13-9 advantage with 3 minutes left in the opening quarter, forcing Conley to call timeout.

It worked, as eight of the next 10 points went to the Red Storm.

Blanche set up MacDonald for a layup to snap Portland’s 8-0 run, then Fitzgerald converted an old-fashioned three-point play (layup, foul, free throw) and junior E.J. Herrick set up Huntington for a 3-ball to make it 17-13.

Inside the final minute, Meas made a layup after a steal to pull the Bulldogs within two.

Just 11 seconds into the second period, junior Benilson Lumani took a pass from junior Luic Ramazani and made a layup to tie the score, but 10 seconds later, a Fitzgerald 3-ball put Scarborough ahead for good.

LeGage countered with a driving layup, but Garriepy sank a 3 and Blanche spun and made a layup for a 25-19 advantage.

Senior Devin Walker was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound and sank a free throw, then sophomore Ricardo Cango scored on a putback to pull the visitors within three, 25-22, but Herrick set up senior Cam Estrella for a layup and after Ramazani scored on a runner in traffic, MacDonald sank a free throw before Fitzgerald added two foul shots and Blanche buried a 3.

Walker scored on a late putback, but the Red Storm held a 33-26 advantage at halftime.

Fitzgerald led all scorers with 11 points in the first half, while Blanche added seven. Meas paced Portland with eight points.

The Bulldogs would scratch and claw throughout the second half, but never could catch Scarborough.

Portland junior Luic Ramazani shoots over Scarborough junior Will MacDonald.

Meas started the third quarter with two free throws, but Garriepy hit a short jumper. After Ferrante’s corner 3 pulled Portland within four, 35-31, Garriepy set up Blanche for a corner 3, then, off a Garriepy offensive rebound, Garriepy fed Blanche for a layup and a nine-point advantage, forcing longtime Portland coach Joe Russo to call timeout.

Out of the break, Ferrante scored on a leaner, but Fitzgerald made a free throw before Blanche set up Herrick for a 3-ball in transition to make it 44-33.

Again, the Bulldogs answered, as Ferrante sank two free throws, LeGage was credited with a basket when the Red Storm were called for goaltending, then Meas made a layup after a steal and with 1:04 on the clock, a Meas free throw cut the deficit to just four.

The game then turned in Scarborough’s favor for good, as after a near steal, Herrick fed Blanche for a layup and Blanche was fouled on the play. He added the and-one free throw and after getting the ball back, the Red Storm made it 49-40 on a Blanche layup, set up by Fitzgerald.

Portland would continue to threaten to come back in the fourth period before the Red Storm closed it out.

Meas began the stanza with a 3. After Fitzgerald made two free throws, Meas scored on a contested bank shot with 7:09 to go, cutting the deficit to 51-45, but that’s as close as the Bulldogs would get.

First, Fitzgerald made two free throws. MacDonald then set up Estrella for a layup before Blanche buried a long 3 with 5:07 to go for Scarborough’s biggest lead, 58-45.

LeGage then hit a floater, LeGage made two free throws and with 2:11 to go, Lumani’s putback pulled Portland within seven, but MacDonald answered with a driving layup.

With 1:38 on the clock, Meas drove for a layup and Portland’s final points.

After Meas missed a shot which could have made things interesting and Estrella got the rebound, Blanche hit one of two foul shots with 25 seconds to go and the Red Storm closed out their 61-53 victory.

“It just took a couple games to find our footing,” said Blanche. “We’ve started to find that. Coach always preaches that we can’t get too high or too low. Every time it turned around a little bit, we didn’t give up and came back. It’s a game of runs. That’s what basketball is. If you sustain the runs, you’ll win games.”

“Our chemistry is great,” said Fitzgerald. “We have so many offensive weapons. If one defender takes away one part, it leads to something else. We have guys who can knock down shots and get to the rim.”

Blanche, the lone returning Scarborough player who saw big minutes a year ago, led all scorers with 21 points. He also had six rebounds and four assists.

“I’ve learned to let the game come to me,” Blanche said. “Once you find an opening, you shoot right at it.”

“Carter has hit big shots,’ Conley said. “He can take it off the dribble too. It’s not just his outside shot.”

“He got most of his points when there was an off play, not when we were covering him,” Russo said. “We told the guys not to leave him and we did that.”

Fitzgerald added 16 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals.

“Everyone’s been super-welcoming,” said Fitzgerald. “Everyone took me right in.”

“(Adam’s) bringing a lot,” said Blanche. “Having him with us this year is great.”

Garriepy finished with seven points (as well as three rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot), as did MacDonald (four rebounds, two steals). Estrella came off the bench to tally four rebounds and a game-high nine rebounds. Herrick (seven assists and four rebounds) and Huntington each added three points.

The Red Storm made eight 3-pointers to the Bulldogs’ three, enjoyed a 32-24 advantage on the glass, made 11-of-14 free throws and overcame 14 turnovers.

Portland was paced by Meas, who had 20 points. LeGage added 13 points, Ferrante had nine, Lumani four, Walker three and Cango and Ramazani two apiece.

“The LeGage kid is a great shooter and their point guard can take you off the dribble,” Conley said. “It was a great team effort on defense.”

The Bulldogs took great care of the ball, only giving it away eight times in a hostile environment, and made 8-of-11 foul shots, but they couldn’t quite catch up.

“That’s called inexperience,” Russo said. “We had it within four. We were working hard. We were going to go into the fourth quarter down four or maybe three or two. Then, they got five points and it was a nine-point game. Time and score. We needed to catch our breath. We worked our butts off, did a good job on the boards and played good D except when plays broke down. We got it right back when they tried to pull away.”

Eye on Friday

Portland is back home Friday to host Cheverus, as it looks to get in the win column.

“If we work as hard as we did tonight, we’ll get better,” Russo said. “I hope by February we’re a better team. I don’t know if we’ll win a game but we’ll work hard. We just want to get better and make the tournament.”

The Red Storm also return to action Friday at home versus South Portland.

“Energy will be the biggest thing,” said Blanche. “If we keep the energy up, we’ll make it as far as we want to.”

“We’re looking good,” Fitzgerald said. “I think we have what it takes.”

“Good things are happening right now, but we have a long way to go,” added Conley. “We’ll continue to work hard. I love this group. We lost eight seniors plus Spence (Spencer Booth, who transferred to Milton Academy), but our team culture is outstanding. We’ll continue to build on that. These guys come ready to practice every day and practice hard. We’ll try to find a few more guys. It’s a young team, so it’s a process and we’re ready to roll.

“This is a tough, tough conference and we have to bring our ‘A’ game every night. The teams are well-coached and they’re good and our guys know that. We have to continue to work hard in practice. With the more experience these guys get, we’ll get even better. SP is next and they’re very good. I know our guys will be up for the challenge. We’ll compete.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.