Scarborough senior Jake Gardner is fouled by Windham senior Kyle Kilfoil during the Eagles’ 76-65 win Wednesday afternoon.

Mike Strout photos.

More photos below.

BOX SCORE

Windham 76 Scarborough 65

W- 20 17 24 15- 76
S- 7 23 12 23- 65

W- Curtis 9-8-30, Gilman 7-4-24, Kilfoil 4-1-9, Brown 2-2-6, McGowan 1-0-3, Coffin 0-2-2, Petcher 1-0-2

S- Fiorillo 4-3-15, Peoples 3-3-12, Joy 5-0-11, Gardner 4-2-10, Lagerquist 3-1-7, Seme 1-3-5, Pratt 1-0-3, Discatio 1-0-2

3-pointers:
W (11) Gilman 6, Curtis 4, McGowan 1
S (9) Fiorillo 4, Peoples 3, Joy, Pratt 1

Turnovers:
W- 10
S- 12

FTs
W: 17-21
S: 12-26

SCARBOROUGH—It’s hard enough to win a game when the opposition is consistently getting second and third chances and when that opponent is knocking down long range shots as well, it truly makes for a long afternoon.

That was the fate of Scarborough’s boys’ basketball team Wednesday against an up-and-coming Windham squad at Alumni Gym.

The Eagles rode a 16-1 first quarter run to a big early lead and while the Red Storm rallied within seven points, 37-30, at halftime, Windham was saving its best shooting for the second half.

In the third period alone, sophomores Nick Curtis and Mike Gilman both knocked down three 3-pointers as the Eagles opened up a 61-42 lead.

Scarborough fought hard to the end, but never drew closer than 11 points as Windham went on to a 76-65 victory.

The Eagles got 30 points from Curtis, 24 from Gilman and improved to 3-4, dropping the Red Storm, who were paced by 15 points from freshman reserve Nick Fiorillo, to 2-5 on the year in the process.

“Our defense was not good and (Windham) shot the ball as well as anybody has all year,” said Scarborough coach Tony DiBiase. “We hung in there a little bit, but it’s a process with a younger group.”

Time to get going

Scarborough, which lost to Deering in last year’s preliminary round, wasn’t highly touted entering the season, but has been competitive. After winning at Westbrook, 48-45, in the opener, the Red Storm lost at home to Thornton Academy (64-36), at Sanford (66-42) and at home to Cheverus (62-58). Scarborough got back on track with a 43-42 win at Bonny Eagle, then lost its last outing, 73-38, to visiting South Portland.

Windham, under new coach Chad Pulkkinen, beat Lewiston and Noble and lost to Deering, Cheverus, Oxford Hills and Bangor in the early going.

Last year, the teams split, each winning at home (Windham, 66-59, and Scarborough, 64-54).

Wednesday, in a matinee, the Eagles came out sizzling and opened up a healthy lead by the end of the first quarter.

The Red Storm got the game’s first points, as junior Emmett Peoples knocked down a 3-point shot 1 minute, 42 seconds in, but Windham got 16 of the next 17 points to pull away.

A 3 from Gilman (the league’s leading scorer entering the contest) tied the score and after a Gilman steal, a layup from Curtis (the league’s ninth leading scorer) put the Eagles ahead to stay. Scarborough got a point back on a free throw from senior Jake Gardner, but Windham got a leaner from junior Chris Brown, a pair of free throws from Curtis, consecutive layups from senior Kyle Kilfoil and a 3 from Gilman to take a commanding 16-4 lead.

With 43 seconds to go in the first, Fiorillo hit a 3 for the Red Storm, to snap the 16-1 run and a 4 minute, 50 second drought, but Curtis made a jumper and as time expired, Curtis fed Gilman with a beautiful pass for a layup and a 20-7 lead after eight minutes.

Scarborough showed some life in the second period, but the Eagles stayed on top.

Forty-seven seconds in, Gardner made a leaner. Sophomore Jaquan Seme followed with a runner and Fiorillo knocked down another 3 to cut the deficit to 20-14. Windham responded when Kilfoil made a layup, but junior Dominic Joy knocked down a 3 and Seme hit a foul shot to pull the Red Storm within four, 22-18.

Undaunted, Gilman answered with a long 3 and after Fiorillo made another 3 for the hosts, Curtis sank a pair of foul shots. 

With 4:09 to go in the half, sophomore Reece Lagerquist scored on a putback for Scarborough to cut the deficit to 27-23, but the Red Storm would get no closer, as the Eagles went on a 10-0 run.

Sophomore Hunter Coffin made two free throws, Brown scored on a putback, Curtis hit a leaner, Gilman made two foul shots and Curtis banked home a shot to make it 37-23.

The Red Storm would finish the half strong, however, as a jumper from Joy ended the run, sophomore Morgan Pratt buried a 3 and after a steal by Seme, Lagerquist made a layup as time expired to pull Scarborough within 37-30 at the break.

The Red Storm got nine first half points from Fiorillo and could have been even closer at halftime, but they missed eight of 10 foul shots. The Eagles were paced by 13 points from Gilman and a dozen from Curtis.

In the third, Scarborough tried its best to rally, but Windham refused to miss from long range.

After Seme set up Joy for a layup to start the second half, Gilman drained a long 3. Joy set up Lagerquist for a layup, but Gilman stepped back and buried another long 3, this one from the wing, to make it 43-34. 

After Fiorillo made a free throw, Curtis heated up again, draining a 3 and after Joy hit a jumper, Curtis made another 3, then set up Gilman for a long-range bomb for a 52-37 advantage.

After Peoples made a 3 for the hosts, Gilman set up Curtis for a long 3 and Gilman, after an offensive rebound, made two free throws for a 57-40 lead.

“The guys played hard all the way through, but when they made those 6-for-6 3s in the second half, that was tough,” DiBiase said.

After Peoples set up Gardner for a layup, junior Zach Petcher scored on a putback and Curtis converted a runner with just over a second to go to make it 61-42 Windham heading for the final stanza.

When Gardner converted a layup while being fouled and added the free throw for an old-fashioned three-point play, followed by a 3 from Peoples, the Red Storm hoped to make a run, but Curtis was left alone and buried a 3 to turn momentum. Fiorillo countered with a 3, but after collecting an offensive rebound, Kilfoil was fouled and made a free throw. After junior Nick Discatio put home a miss for Scarborough, Brown kept possession for the visitors with an offensive rebound and fed junior Austin McGowan for a dagger 3. 

After Lagerquist made a free throw, Curtis set up Kilfoil for a layup and a 70-54 lead with 4:44 left. Peoples made one free throw and Fiorillo added a pair, but Brown countered with two foul shots, Curtis hit a pair, then drained two more to make it 76-57.

After Seme made a free throw, Gardner scored on a putback and Joy made a layup after a steal. Seme added another foul shot and Peoples sank two free throws, but the Red Storm could get no closer and the Eagles closed out their 76-65 victory.

“We had a lot of guys step up,” Pulkkinen said. “When we shoot well, we can beat anybody. Sometimes the ball falls and sometimes it doesn’t. Today it did and our guys took advantage. Our offense works to our strength.”

Windham was paced by 30 points from Curtis, which included four 3-pointers, and 24 from Gilman, which included six 3-pointers.

“We have some great shooters and really good guards,” said Pulkkinen. “I like our backcourt against any other team in the league. They’re young, but they’re competitive. It’s really a team effort when we shoot like that. When everyone does their role, we do well.”

“Whether it was poor defense or them shooting the ball really well, it’s usually a combination of both,” DiBiase said. “We haven’t played good defense and I don’t think those (Windham) kids have shot like that all year.”

Curtis also had nine rebounds and lived up to his standing as the league’s top assist man with seven. Gilman added six rebounds and two steals.

Kilfoil had nine points, Brown (seven rebounds) finished with six, McGowan added three and Coffin and Petcher (seven boards) both wound up with two.

The Eagles enjoyed a 42-35 rebounding advantage, with 17 coming on offense.

“When we rebound the ball, that gives us another opportunity to separate from the opposition,” Pulkkinen said. 

“We had trouble on the glass when we went small,” DiBiase said. “They were more athletic. We were jumping out on the 3-point line and rebounds bounced out.”

Windham only turned the ball over 10 times and hit 17 of 21 free throws.

Scarborough was paced by Fiorillo, who had 15 points. Peoples (12 points, six rebounds), Joy (11 points, two steals) and Gardner (10 points, 11 rebounds, two blocked shots) also finished with double digit scoring. Lagerquist had seven points, Seme (nine assists) added five, Pratt had three and Discatio finished with two.

The Red Storm committed 12 turnovers and made just 12 of 26 foul shot opportunities.

High hopes for 2016

Windham is back in action Saturday at Gorham, as it looks to even its record.

“We have an end goal that we want,” said Pulkkinen. “I like our chances to get in the tournament. Not a lot of people are talking about us and that’s fine by me. The future’s bright. We have a great young core and some great kids in the middle school program. If you have great kids, good things can happen.” 

Scarborough’s slate gets tough in the new year, as it goes to Thornton Academy Saturday and hosts powerhouse Portland Tuesday.

“The goal is still to make (the tournament) and we still can,” DiBiase said. “We have to win some games. We’ll keep battling. At some point, we’ll figure it out.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

Scarborough sophomore Jaquan Seme drives on Windham senior Zach LaCombe. Seme had a game-high nine assists.

Scarborough freshman Nick Fiorillo goes up for a 3-pointer as Windham junior Austin McGowan defends.

Scarborough senior Andrew Porada wrests the ball away from Windham junior Chris Brown.

Scarborough sophomore Morgan Pratt is trapped by Windham senior Zach LaCombe, left, and sophomore Mike Gilman.

Scarborough sophomore Reece Lagerquist goes up for a layup at the end of the first half.

Scarborough senior Jake Gardner goes up for a shot as Windham junior Chris Brown, left, and sophomore Nick Curtis defend.

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