WINDHAM—It was very much a championship atmosphere Friday evening and the Windham and South Portland boys’ basketball teams lived up to the hype in a midseason showdown reminiscent of last year’s Class AA state final.

After the host Eagles and Red Riots went back-and-forth for three quarters, it was the two-time reigning champions who made the biggest plays when it mattered most.

And that was enough to spell victory in the first of two (possibly three) showdowns this winter.

Windham shot to a quick 10-2 lead, but South Portland roared back to tie before a 3-pointer from senior standout Tyrie James produced a 13-11 Eagles’ lead after one quarter.

The Red Riots then caught fire in the second period and thanks in part to a dozen points apiece from senior sharpshooter Gabe Jackson and freshman phenom Leonel Despacho, clung to a 32-28 advantage at the half.

The lead would change hands seven times in the third quarter before a late James jumper gave Windham the lead for good, 44-42, heading to the final stanza.

And there, the Eagles finally put a stranglehold on the victory.

Clutch plays from James, senior heart-and-soul A.J. Moody, junior Landon Wyman and promising sophomore Sean LeBel helped Windham extend its advantage to double digits and it went on to a closer-than-the-final-score-indicated 68-53 victory.

James had a game-high 21 points, LeBel and Moody added 13 apiece and the Eagles improved to 7-1 on the year, dropping South Portland to 6-2 in the process.

“I saw a different fight out of our guys tonight, which I’m proud of,” said Windham coach Chad Pulkkinen. “We had good practices which translated to the game. We know South Portland’s pedigree and obviously, we have some memories together from last year, but it’s a new group for them and a new group for us. At the end of the day, it’s just another opportunity to play. If our staff can get the guys to compete like that, we’ll be in good shape.”

Here we go again

Windham started with a 73-71 win at Thornton Academy in its first game, then lost its home opener to Sanford (68-60) before bouncing back for a 78-42 victory at Marshwood. After an impressive 66-53 home win over Westbrook, the Eagles rallied from a big deficit to beat host Portland (57-50), then they defeated visiting Cheverus (64-45) and Tuesday, dominated visiting Massabesic, 101-31.

South Portland, meanwhile, began its year with a 62-60 come-from-behind win at Cheverus, then held off visiting Portland (51-48) before defeating visiting Bonny Eagle (73-52), host Biddeford (81-42) and visiting Westbrook (54-44). Last week, the Red Riots suffered their first loss, 52-47, at Portland, before bouncing back to down visiting Deering, 55-43.

Last year, South Portland eked out a 55-54 win at Windham in the regular season, but in the rematch, in the Class AA South Final, it was the Eagles pulling out a memorable 55-52 victory to go back-to-back as state champion.

Friday, prior to the tip-off, Windham’s Youth Basketball Association honored Moody with the first annual Pat Moody Little Eyes Award, bestowed for being a role model to the younger kids in the community.

Pat Moody, A.J. Moody’s father, passed away in November, 2024 due to pancreatic cancer, but his spirit remains very much alive in town, and of course, in his son.

“It means a lot to get an award for my Dad,” A.J. Moody said. “It’s great to have him in my heart when I’m on the court.”

“A.J. is a role model for all the kids out here,” said Pulkkinen. “He cares and plays emotional. I’m just so proud of him. He comes in early and leaves late. He’s the guy you want on your team. I’m glad he’s a Windham Eagle. He’s one of the best players who’s ever played here.”

Once the game commenced, in front of a raucous, packed house, both teams demonstrated why they’re considered favorites in the newly formed Class A, but ultimately, as was the case 10 months ago, it was the Eagles making the plays late to prevail.

Junior Colin Janvrin won the opening tip to LeBel, who passed quickly to James, who made a layup just four seconds in to raise the curtain.

Moody then pulled up and hit a 3-pointer and after Despacho set up freshman Israel Muzela for a layup, Moody sank two foul shots before Moody set up James in transition for a 3-pointer to make it 10-2 with 3:46 left in the first quarter, forcing South Portland coach Kevin Millington to call timeout.

It worked like a charm, as the next eight points went to the visitors, as Despacho scored eight points in a minute to tie the score.

After Despacho sank two free throws, he took a pass from Jackson and from the corner, buried a 3-pointer.

Despacho then took an inbounds pass from senior Tadhg O’Donnell and hit another 3 to make it 10-10.

Windham then went back on top with 1:09 remaining in the frame, as Wyman set up James for a long 3-pointer.

South Portland sophomore Felix Correia got a point back at the free throw line, but the Eagles took a 13-11 lead to the second period.

In the first eight minutes, James had eight points and Moody added five (with four rebounds) for Windham, while Despacho had eight points and senior Darius Johnson grabbed seven rebounds for the visitors.

The Red Riots began the second quarter with a flourish, as Jackson tied the score with a floater, then Muzela somehow fought his way through contact to bank home a shot while being fouled before the completing the old-fashioned three-point play with a free throw.

James set up Wyman for a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the score, but with 6:24 on the clock, Muzela fed Jackson for a 3 to put South Portland back in front.

Back came Windham, as Janvrin drew a foul and a technical foul was called as well and Janvrin made all four subsequent free throws.

After Jackson countered with another 3, LeBel drove for a layup to tie the score, 22-22.

Midway through the period, two Muzela free throws, followed by a Jackson turnaround jumper, forced Pulkkinen to call timeout and while LeBel drove for a layup, the visitors countered immediately with a rarely-seen four-point play, as Despacho sank a 3 from the corner while being fouled before adding the free throw to make it 30-24.

After sophomore Boston Krainis drove and banked home a shot for the Eagles, Jackson hit a pair of free throws, but with 31.5 seconds to go, Moody fed Wyman for a layup and Windham crept within four, 32-28, at the break.

Despacho and Jackson paced South Portland in the first half with 12 points apiece, while James led the Eagles with eight.

The third quarter then proved to be a dizzying sequence of the two talented teams saying, “Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better.”

Windham roared out of the gate to start the second half, as Janvrin drove and made a layup with his left hand, then LeBel made a terrific play to save the ball from going out of bounds, got the ball back, then fed Moody for a go-ahead 3.

After O’Donnell answered with a 3, LeBel came up big again, grabbing a long rebound, then lining up a 3 and burying it for a 36-35 lead.

Muzela, playing with three fouls, countered with a putback, but Janvrin drove and finished another layup with his left hand.

After Despacho made a runner, Moody stepped back and made a 3 and LeBel added a free throw before Despacho set up Correia for a 3 to tie the score for the fifth and final time, 42-42.

With 24 seconds remaining, James’ fadeaway jumper gave the Eagles the lead for good, 44-42.

Windham then found another gear and pulled away in the final stanza.

LeBel got things started with two free throws, then Moody put on a show, going coast-to-coast, making a left-handed layup, high off the glass, while being fouled, then adding the and-one free throw to complete the three-point play and make it 49-42.

Finally, with 7:11 to go, Johnson scored his first (and what proved to be his only) points of the game, driving for a layup.

Jackson then drove and made a layup to make it a one-possession game, but with 6:23 left, LeBel got free in the corner, Wyman spotted him and passed him the ball and LeBel buried a clutch 3 to make it 52-46.

“I just saw I had a wide open shot and I just wanted to hit it and put my team in a good position,” LeBel said. “I’m always ready to shoot. That’s one of my roles.”

James then drove for a layup and after Jackson set up Despacho for a layup on the fastbreak, James converted a three-point play with 5:10 to go.

A floater from Despacho 20 seconds later cut the deficit to seven, but that was as close as the Red Riots would get, as Moody set up James for a reverse layup, then with 3:47 on the clock, Janvrin spun and fed Wyman for a dagger 3, making the score 62-50.

After Janvrin scored on a putback, Windham was called for a technical foul and Jackson made one of two free throws.

Jackson then added a layup with 2:52 to play, but that would prove to be South Portland’s final points.

Down the stretch, Krainis and James each made a free throw, then as time wound down, Moody soared for a punctuation mark dunk and the Eagles celebrated their 68-53 victory.

“(South Portland’s) a championship team and we know that,” Moody said. “They’re well-coached. They have great players. They played us well and we played them well. We had composure. We knew what we were doing. It was all of us. The bench encouraged us. We had our home crowd and that was the difference. Without our community, I don’t know where we’d be. It almost feels like a shove in the back to keep going and grind it out. They just love us and we love them. We try to give back as much as possible.”

“These are the games you want to play in,” said LeBel. “You get excited for them. The practices leading up to it, there was a different intensity. We knew it would be a big game and we came ready for it. We were prepared for it and stepped up when we had to. It was really fun.”

“It was a battle,” Pulkkinen added. “We knew they’re a great team and it would be tough. We had to control the glass and control transition and I thought our guys did a good job of that and gave us a good chance to win. Holding them to one shot was important. They have good athletes who crash the glass hard. We got stops and stretched it out from there.

“It’s just experience. We gave up a 16-point lead against Sanford and have talked about that a lot and done situational stuff in practice to close out games. The guys did a really good job solving problems and trusting each other. Guys knocked down big shots and got rebounds. Tyrie with the ball late is a good thing, as everyone knows. It was just a team effort.”

James had 21 points, to go with three rebounds, to pace Windham.

LeBel added 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

“I want to do everything I can for my team and play my role,” said LeBel. “We have great players on the team. I’m thankful to be able to play with them. A lot of people aren’t lucky to get to play with guys like (A.J., Colin and Tyrie). They make it very easy for me.”

“Sean is a great player,” Moody said. “I’m very proud of what he’s doing. He’s a great defender, a great shooter. He’s figured out his role quickly and I’m proud of him for doing that.”

“Sean is just an animal,” added Pulkkinen. “He’s a tough kid. He’s a kid you want on your team. He usually gets matched up with the best ball-handler on the other team. He understands how to guard elite players in this league. He competes hard. He’s a heck of a three-sport athlete. He’s first in his class in school. He’ll continue to get better. I’m really proud of what he did tonight.”

Moody stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Janvrin, despite foul trouble, also wound up in double figures with 10 points, to go with eight rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots.

“Colin had a tough task tonight,” Pulkkinen said. “He was bouncing back and forth from Darius and Israel. He did a really good job battling and put himself in position to get offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter to stretch out the lead. We’re not very big outside of him. He’s definitely our anchor. He got in foul trouble but did a good job adjusting.”

Wyman added eight points (three rebounds and two assists) and Krainis finished with three points off the bench.

Windham made nine 3-pointers to South Portland’s seven, hit 13-of-16 free throws and overcame 13 turnovers.

For South Portland, Despacho led the way with 18 points, to go with four steals.

Jackson added 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Muzela overcame foul trouble to score nine points and grab seven rebounds.

Correia finished with four points and O’Donnell had three.

Johnson finished with a game-high 14 rebounds, but managed just two points.

The Red Riots had a 33-28 rebound advantage and made 10-of-13 free throws, but turned the ball over 15 times.

“I think every game that these good teams are playing, there’s a run and that’s decided the game,” said Millington, the once-upon-a-time Eagles coach, who teaches at Windham High School. “Either team can make the run. We were in the game, then we couldn’t score, they did score and we didn’t guard as well as we needed to, then it was 10 points and the clock wasn’t in our favor. We didn’t execute very well on offense for a few possessions, then we quickly went down on defense and the offense was still in our heads and we weren’t guarding. They’re as good an offensive team as there is in Maine and if you’re not guarding, they’ll score. I don’t think offense was an issue for us. When we shared the ball, we got high percentage shots. We just got frustrated at times and that spilled over to the defensive end.

“We just wanted to compete and be in situations today that we can take with us down the stretch. We got that. We played down 10, we had to learn to trap a good team to get the ball back. We’ll definitely learn from that. We try to embrace every situation that comes up because you don’t know what comes up in the tournament.

“I told the kids before the game that when you sign up for basketball you don’t sign up for a Tuesday game against Massabesic or Noble, you sign up for this one. I wanted them to soak it up and have fun. They’ll remember the atmosphere more than the game.”

Tuesday tests

The rivals do battle again Jan. 23 in South Portland, but the Red Riots and Eagles each have plenty of work to do first.

South Portland’s gauntlet continues with a trip to Thornton Academy Tuesday. The Red Riots are currently ranked fourth in the Class A South Heal Points standings.

“It’s still kind of early in the year,” Millington said. “I always talk to the kids about a tool kit. We start the season with a hammer and try to do everything with a hammer. As we build up, hopefully we’ll have every tool in our arsenal to attack.”

Windham (which is now second to Sanford in Class A South) has another big test awaiting it Tuesday when it goes to sharpshooting Scarborough.

“It’s starting to click,” said Moody. “We need to play better help-side defense, we need to keep our composure a little more, trust each other. We’re entitled to nothing.”

“I think we’re doing great,” LeBel said. “We really want to win and we’re focused. Our height is probably our biggest problem, so rebounding is something we’ve focused on. If we stay consistent and keep rebounding, that will help us.”

“We’ve improved a ton from the beginning and that’s the goal,” added Pulkkinen. “That’s all I can ask as a coach.”

BOX SCORE

Windham 68 South Portland 53

SP- 11 21 10 11- 53
W- 13 15 16 24- 68

SP- Despacho 6-3-18, Jackson 6-3-17, Muzela 3-3-9, Correia 1-1-4, O’Donnell 1-0-3, Johnson 1-0-2

W- James 8-2-21, LeBel 4-3-13, Moody 4-3-13, Janvrin 3-4-10, Wyman 3-0-8, Krainis 1-1-3

3-pointers
SP (7) Despacho 3, Jackson 2, Correia, O’Donnell
W (9) James 3, LeBel, Moody, Wyman 2

Turnovers:
SP- 15
W- 13

Free throws
SP: 10-13
W: 13-16

Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffersports@yahoo.com