BANGOR, Maine — The team that makes its free throws is often the team that wins games.
Such was the case Saturday morning as No. 3 Fort Fairfield upset No. 1 Washburn 55-41 to collect the Eastern Class D boys basketball championship at the Cross Insurance Center.
The Tigers, under first-year coach Logan McLaughlin, converted 15 of 20 foul shots (75 percent), including an impressive 12 of 15 (80 percent) in the final quarter, as Fort Fairfield (18-4) pulled away in the waning minutes.
The Tigers will take on Western Maine champ Forest Hills of Jackman in the state final at 2:45 p.m. next Saturday in Bangor.
Washburn ends its season with an 18-3 record.
Fort Fairfield senior forward Hunter Beaulieu led his team with 19 points, 12 of which came in the second half as the Tigers rallied from a 26-25 halftime deficit. Beaulieu showed poise from the foul line as well, converting 5 of 8.
Sophomore Christopher Giberson added 16 points, including a perfect 6 for 6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Senior Robert Watson chipped in 10 points.
For Washburn, which was appearing in a regional championship for the first time since 1997, senior Cameron Bragg led the way with 15 points, while junior Jarrett Olson added 11 points and junior Noah Caron contributed 10.
Facing the Beavers for the third time on the year, McLaughlin said he tried to bring a new element to Saturday’s final.
“Most of the year, we played a man-to-man defense, with just a little bit of zone,” he said. “Today, I just really wanted to mix things up, keep them off-balanced using man, a 3-2 (zone) and a 1-3-1 zone. In the first half, I was really just feeling out what was going to work the best.”
In the second half, the Tigers settled on their 1-3-1 zone, which caused fits for Washburn, limiting the Beavers to many single shot attempts, as Fort Fairfield collected multiple defensive rebounds.
Washburn coach Randy Norsworthy said his team struggled against Fort Fairfield’s zone in the second half, and committed numerous turnovers.
“We never got into any sort of rhythm,” he said. “We didn’t finish things. I give Fort all the credit. Congratulations to them, they played a great game. They had a tough route to get here facing Schenck and Southern Aroostook. They earned their way to the championship.”
The game featured just four lead changes. The two squads battled to a near stalemate in the first half, with Washburn clinging to a 26-25 lead at the break.
In the third period, Fort Fairfield opened the scoring on a runner from Giberson, for a 27-26 lead and never trailed again, as it held the high-powered Washburn offense to just four points, taking a 35-30 edge into the final frame.
Washburn cut the lead to 40-35 on a 3-pointer by Olson with 5:05 to play, but that was as close as the Beavers would come as Fort Fairfield converted 9 of 11 foul shots in the final four minutes to seal the victory.
McLaughlin, who helped win gold balls while playing for Central Aroostook in 2008 and 2011, said getting to a state game as a player and now as a coach is truly special.
“You get to look over at the rest of the team and see how excited they are,” McLaughlin said. “I knew I wanted to coach and hoped some day in my coaching career, the kids would experience an Eastern Maine or state championship. I didn’t think it would happen in the first year.”
While he appeared calm and collected on the sidelines in just his first year of varsity coaching, McLaughlin said the reverse is actually true.
“I ask the assistant coach every game, ‘Is that clock moving? Does it ever tick?’” he said. “I try to stay calm, because the kids need me to be calm. If you get wound up, they can start stressing.”
