by Sam CanfieldMarch 2, 2024Updated 19 hours ago
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PORTLAND, Maine — The Windham boys basketball team won an action-packed battle of wills with Gorham in the Class AA state championship game, losing grip of a 23-7 first quarter lead but ultimately holding strong for a 62-58 win in overtime at the Cross Insurance Arena on Saturday night.
It was Windham’s first boys basketball state title in school history.
Windham, the No. 1 seed from AA North, finished the year 19-2. Gorham, the No. 1 seed from the South, wound up 18-3.
Having climbed back to a 32-27 lead halfway through the third quarter, all momentum appeared to be in Gorham’s hands, but Windham remained unfazed, using an and-one play from sophomore guard Tyrie James to help retake a 38-37 lead headed into the fourth.
After four more lead changes in the fourth (regulation ended 49-49 with a Windham defensive stop) and three more in overtime, the Eagles finally pulled away with eight seconds remaining, as sophomore Adrian Moody nailed two free throws to seal it.
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“This is the best game I’ve ever been a part of — I asked the guys on the bench if I was dreaming,” nine-year Windham head coach Chad Pulkkinen said. “This is one the most resilient teams I’ve coached; they respond every time. We knew it was going to be a fight, and we had to work our butts off to win.”
Gorham senior point guard and Maine McDonald’s All-star Gabe Michaud led all scorers with 27 points and four assists, fouling out in overtime. Fellow Maine McDonald’s All-star Caden Smith finished with three 3-pointers and eight rebounds for the Rams, and junior center Griffin Gammon tacked on 15 more points.
Four different Windham Eagles finished with double digit points: senior forward Quinton Lindsay (10 points, four assists), junior forward Creighty Dickson (14 points, nine rebounds), and sophomore guards James (15) and Moody (12).
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Windham seniors Blake McPherson and Erik Bowen combined for 11 additional points, including a huge 3-pointer for McPherson on Windham’s second overtime possession.
“It starts with our seniors, they’re super unselfish,” Pulkkinen said. “Our young guys are very good too. I’m proud of the [whole] group; I’ve asked a lot out of these guys. It’s unbelievable.”
Back on Jan. 15 at Gorham, the Rams turned a 25-24 halftime deficit into a resounding 67-40 rout of Windham, ending the Eagles’ 10-game winning streak to start the season. On Saturday night, Gorham appeared to be pulling away again — with a Gammon slam dunk through contact really riling up the Gorham crowd halfway through the third — but the Eagles were confident they could reel the Rams back in this time around.
“We knew that they’re a very, very good team, and they’re gonna go on runs,” Bowen said. “We just stayed together, kept battling, and took it one possession at a time. It was a very physical, competitive game. We’ve cemented ourselves in Windham, and state, history — it feels special.”