Oceanside barely escapes with the win over MCI

ROCKLAND – There is nothing more fun to watch than a team that is playing up a class level, that has not won a game all year in their own class, play unafraid and as the game goes on they even start to think they can pull out the win.

Oceanside's Nate Raye makes a pass on the run during Tuesday's game in Rockland. Oceanside won 51-49. (Photo by Ron Hawkes)

Click here to view and/or purchase any of the 140 photos in the gallery




Tuesday night at Oceanside this is exactly what was witnessed. Class A, Oceanside entered the game at 6-1 against Class B, Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield (0-8).  The first half looked just as it was expected to look with Oceanside taking a 17-14 first quarter lead and a 37-18 halftime advantage.

Most any 0-8 team down by 19 points would just fold up, game over; not these Huskies. MCI outscored Oceanside 22-9 in the third quarter to cut Oceanside's lead to one point 41-40. In the fourth quarter at 6:42 MCI took the lead for the first time in the game 42-41. At 4:28 the Huskies had a three-point lead 45-41, however at 1:57 Oceanside took the lead back 47-45 before ending the game with a pair of foul shots from Nate Raye off a steal by Trevor Reed with seconds left that sealed the game for the Mariners with the 51-49 win.

Oceanside's Mike Norton Jr. (center) goes up strong with a shot while being fouled by MCI's Pedro Matos. (Photo by Ron Hawkes)

Scoring for Oceanside was Raye and Mike Norton Jr. with 17 points each; Cooper Wirkala seven; Joseph Berger six; and Amos Anderson four.

Oceanside was 15-of-19 (79 percent) from the foul line and they had two 3-pointers, both from Raye.

For MCI, Caleb Romanov had 15 points; Adam Bertrand and Carter Pearl 10 each; Owen Williams eight; and Pedro Matos and Eli Bussell three each.

The Huskies were 9-of-14 (64 percent) from the foul line. They knocked down eight 3-pointers, four from Romanov, two from Williams, and one each from Bertrand and Pearl.

Oceanside's Cooper Wirkala attacks the basket. (Photo by Ron Hawkes)

Oceanside goes to 7-1 on the year and currently sits in third place in the Maine Principals' Association Class A Heal Point Standings.  MCI falls to 0-9 in Class B North and is tied for 16th place.

Saturday Oceanside will travel to Brunswick with a 1 p.m. tipoff. MCi will take its outstanding performance against the Mariners and hope to pick up their first win Thursday when they host Waterville.

Oceanside's Joseph Berger puts a rebound back up for the score. (Photo by Ron Hawkes)

MCI's Adam Bertrand, left, and Caleb Romanov both go after the rebound. (Photo by Ron Hawkes)

Oceanside's Amos Anderson puts a rebound back up and in. (Photo by Ron Hawkes)