SACO — Thornton Academy and Biddeford were two teams heading in opposite directions heading into their season-ending rivalry game Thursday night. The Trojans had already locked up a playoff berth, and they played like a team with all the momentum, as they got off to a hot start, and never cooled down on their way to a 65-43 win over their biggest rival.
It was senior night for the Trojans, and a big crowd and the emotion gave them a boost early. They got off to an 8-0 start, and led 20-9 by the end of the first quarter. Jeff Gelinas, the lone senior starter, paced Thornton with seven first-quarter points.
“We had to match their intensity early,” said Biddeford head coach Mike Fecteau. “It just didn’t seem like we came ready to play. And they took it to us early.”
Biddeford had 10 seniors who were playing in their last game, as the Tigers were all but assured of missing out on the postseason. They were missing one of their best seniors, Nick Leblond to illness, and it showed. The Tigers couldn’t find anybody to step up and take the reins, and they fell further behind.
“Not having Nick Leblond ”¦ somebody else has got to step up,” said Fecteau.
Cam Nadeau hit two 3-pointers in the first half, but it wasn’t enough to spark a run for Biddeford.
Thornton, on the other hand, fed off the energy of big shots made by Quinn Richardson-Newton and Reuben Moses. Richardson-Newton scored eight of his 12 first-half points in the second quarter, including two 3-pointers, and Moses also hit an open three against Biddeford’s zone defense.
“It’s much easier to play ahead than from behind. We’ve had to play from behind, and none of us like it,” Gelinas said, referring to Thornton’s propensity for slow starts. “It’s good to go out, get a quick start, (and) play with some freedom after that.”
The Trojans doubled up the Tigers at halftime, as they led 36-18. Gelinas, Richardson-Newton, and Moses were already in double-figures for scoring by then, while Nadeau paced Biddeford with his two 3-pointers.
Any chance for Biddeford to come back in the second half quickly evaporated, as Thornton jumped out to a 12-2 run to start. Gelinas and Evan Wright had two field goals apiece and Moses made a 4-point play to put the game out of reach.
The Trojans’ defense also stepped up, holding the Tigers t just two field goals and two free throws the entire third quarter. Thornton led 51-24 heading into the fourth quarter, allowing the Trojans’ bench to get more playing time than they were used to.
“It seemed like we never got in the flow of the offense. Give them credit for their tough defense,” said Fecteau.
The Tigers fought on in the fourth quarter, and got an offense going that had been shut-down for three quarters. Matt Cote and Sam Methot both hit 3-pointers, and Connor Morrison, Matt Boynton, and Ian Robinson all made shots down low as the Biddeford seniors played out the end of their high school careers.
The pro-Thornton crowd had something to cheer about in the fourth quarter, as senior reserve Allen Zhang made his way into the game. The Thornton student section let Thornton head coach Bob Davies know who they wanted the ball to go to, and Davies obliged, as he called a play for Zhang. When Zhang made his way to the free throw line, the crowd applauded. Zhang made one of his two free throw attempts, but it was enough to appease the home crowd.
“It’s really cool, especially with him being a residential student,” Gelinas said of Zhang getting some time to shine on the court. “The fans love him. Everybody loves him.”
Richardson-Newton finished with a game-high 20 points, and Gelinas and Moses both had 14 for Thornton.
Nadeau, Morrison, Boynton, and Robinson all had eight points for Biddeford.
The Trojans will host a preliminary game next Tuesday night, with their opponent still to be decided.
“It feels good,” Gelinas said of getting a win against a rival at home to end the regular season. “We got momentum going into the playoffs. And (we) hope to keep it going.”
— Contact Wil Kramlich at 282-1535, Ext. 323 or follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.
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