The No. 1 Oxford Hills Vikings took care of business at home on Thursday night against No. 8 Bangor, winning convincingly with a 72-55 victory in the Class AA North boys basketball quarterfinals.
The Vikings (18-1) will play the winner of No. 4 Cheverus (13-5) and No. 5 Hampden Academy (10-8) on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 3:45 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
Oxford Hills jumped out to a 10-2 lead midway through the first quarter. The run was capped off by a two-on-one fast break by Teigan Pelletier and Cole Pulkkinen that Pelletier finished with a layup at the rim. Bangor (2-17) scored six unanswered points in the final two minutes and the No. 8 Rams were within two points heading into the second.
Pelletier opened the second with a floater to put the Vikings ahead 12-8 and then a few minutes later drilled a 3-pointer to put some space between Oxford Hills and Bangor, 24-15.
Pelletier finished with a game-high 18 points.
On Oxford Hills’ next possession, Bangor coach Brad Libby was called for a technical foul and then there was a second technical called against Bangor, giving Pelletier four free throw attempts, then possession.
Pelletier hit two free throws and then on the out of bounds play he scored in close again, which gave the Vikings a 28-15 lead with two minutes left.
Bangor’s Wyatt Stevens hit his second 3-pointer of the half with one minute left and finished with 11 points, but on Bangor’s final possession Eli Soehren blocked a Bangor 3-pointer in the corner, got the rebound and found Pulkkinen in the far corner for a 3-pointer at the buzzer that the senior and Mr. Maine Basketball semifinalist banked in. The triple gave the Vikings a 35-21 lead at the break.
Oxford Hills proved its top AA North ranking in the third quarter, getting buckets from Holden Shaw, Soehren and Pelletier. Right before the third quarter buzzer, Tanner Bickford drilled a shot from just beyond halfcourt to give the Vikings a 54-34 lead heading into the final quarter.
Shaw finished the game with 15 points.
Holmes hit a 3-pointer midway through the fourth to cut the deficit to 63-39, but Lincoln Merrill of Oxford Hills answered quickly with a basket to pause a possible run from Bangor.
Pelletier then dropped a layup in from Pulkkinen, followed by another triple from Holmes that made it 67-42.
Ryan Ford scored on a fast break, followed by a 3-pointer from Stevens and two free throws from Ford but, while the Rams were finding their offensive rhythm and pulled off a 10-2 run, the 67-49 deficit was too much to overcome.
