32-point performance gives Caribou sweep over Hawks
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
BANGOR, Maine — Two of the most dynamic guards in the Big East Conference met up in last Wednesday’s Eastern Maine Class B semifinal when Caribou and Hermon locked horns with a trip to thr regional championship game on the line. Caribou’s Dayne Savage had the upper hand as the junior exploded for 32 points, connecting on 10 of his 15 field goal attempts, to lead his Vikings to a 58-39 victory.
The win was Caribou’s third of the season over the Hawks, the No. 8 seed in the tournament who had knocked off top-ranked Oceanside of Rockland/Thomaston four days earlier in the quarterfinals.
Hermon’s star guard, Tyler Thayer, who had scored 40 points against the Mariners, had to face constant defensive pressure from a contingent of Caribou players, mostly stoppers Matt Milliard and Kameron Manter, and was able to make just nine of his 24 field goal attempts to finish with a hard-earned 26 points.
Caribou was masterful on both ends of the court after a sluggish offensive start. After missing their first attempts from the floor, the Vikes connected on eight of their next nine to move out in front 14-4 after a quarter and to a 25-16 lead early in the third quarter.
Savage had 11 points during the 16-plus minute stretch, but there were plenty of other contributors. Derek Richardson and Cody Herbert had two field goals each, Donovan Savage scored on a fast-break layup and Milliard drained a pair of free throws.
The lead continued to grow during the second half behind the exploits of Dayne Savage, who scored 21 of his team’s final 32 points in the contest. They came in a variety of ways, including pull-up jumpers, driving layups and a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of the third quarter that staked Caribou to a 38-27 advantage.
Milliard had a strong offensive outing to go along with his defensive performance on Thayer. Milliard tallied nine points, including a conventional three-point play early in the fourth. He hit all three of his free throw attempts in the game.
Richardson chipped in with six points and Herbert had five rebounds to go along with his early offensive production.
Thayer attempted all but five of his team’s field goals in the game, with Tyler Beaton and Joe Plummer the only others with tries.
Beaton finished with nine points, seven on free throws, and Plummer had four points to go along with six rebounds.
Staff Photo/Joseph Cyr
Viking Dayne Savage soars to the basket past the Hermon defense during last Wednesday’s semifinal game played in Bangor. Savage scored 32 points in the 58-39 win.
