Last modified Jan. 22, 2016, at 10:21 p.m.
BANGOR, Maine — The Hampden Academy and Bangor boys basketball teams were engaged in a defensive battle of the highest order Friday night — until Nick Chasse introduced some sudden offense to the rivalry.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from the right corner by the Hampden sixth man broke open a one-point contest and sparked the undefeated Broncos to a 57-47 victory at Red Barry Gymnasium.
“I thought momentum swung when Nick Chasse hit the two threes,” said Bartlett. “One was just a good find, and the other was an isolation for Nick Gilpin when he found Nick again. That finally got us some separation because before that it was back and forth, punch counterpunch.
“I thought [Bangor] did a great job guarding us tonight for the second time this year,” he added.
Bangor also lost head coach Carl Parker for Saturday afternoon’s game against Brewer after he was issued his second technical foul and ejected from the contest for something he said to referee Jeff Paul as both were at the scorer’s table just as time expired.
Parker’s troops were giving Hampden all it wanted through three quarters, particularly during a third period that featured nine lead changes, the last when Hampden took a 32-31 lead on two Gilpin free throws with 0.4 seconds left.
But Gilpin — the senior point guard who finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocked shots — opened the final quarter by penetrating into the lane and passing the ball out to Chasse for his first 3-pointer of the night.
Gilpin found Chasse open again in the same spot on Hampden’s next possession, with Chasse’s step-back netfinder giving the Broncos a sudden 38-31 cushion.
“Earlier in the game, I was probably 0-for-[3] from the 3-point line,” said Chasse. “But once you get that first one in, you know that second one will definitely go in so that second one was much easier.”
Bangor’s George Payne countered with a layup off a Hampden turnover to cut the gap to 38-33 but the momentum had swung, with baskets by Gilpin and Chasse then sparking a seven-point run that stretched the Broncos’ lead to 45-33 with 3:36 left.
“This is not the first game when Nick has come up and hit some big shots,” said Gilpin, referring to a big night Chasse had earlier in the season during a victory over Brewer.
“Nick hit that first three, and then I was looking for him the very next time down and saw him in the corner and passed it to him. I thought he was going to take a jump shot, but then I saw him dribble back once, and then he let that three ride and he hit it. We got some energy from that.”
Bangor, which shot just 3 of 17 from 3-point land during the first three quarters, finally found its range from distance, with senior forward Justin Smith making three 3-pointers and senior guard Ethan Dorman adding a fourth from beyond the arc.
But Hampden answered by beating Bangor’s defensive pressure and getting the ball inside, with a reverse layup by sophomore center Ian McIntyre and a backdoor layup by Gilpin off a feed by McIntyre allowing Bangor to get no closer than 53-45 with 1:12 left.
Chasse finished with 14 points while McIntyre had with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Hampden.
Dorman had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists, and Smith finished with 13 points and six rebounds for Bangor, which made just 19 of 56 shots from the field.
“I felt like we guarded as well tonight as we have all year,” said Bartlett. “[Smith] made some tough shots in the fourth quarter but I felt like we made him adjust the arc on almost every shot he took tonight.”