Having a week between games at this point of the season can give a basketball team some needed rest, but it can also cause a team to be a little out of rhythm. The Boothbay Region High School varsity boys Seahawks seemed to feel a little as they held on for a 49-47 victory at Hall-Dale on Monday, Feb. 4.

The host Bulldogs outscored the Seahawks 6-2 over the last four minutes of the second  quarter to grab a two-point halftime lead after trailing by eight earlier in the quarter.

The now 16-1 Seahawks got a pair of Evan Hepburn free throws and a drive by Anthony DiMauro, before Brian Allen scored inside and Ezra Jones hit a 3-pointer to put Hall-Dale back on top midway through the third quarter.

After one free throw by DiMauro, Lincoln Simmons gave his club a big lift with a pair of offensive rebound hoops, including one off a missed free throw that gave Boothbay the lead with 2:00 left in the quarter. But Hall-Dale would regain momentum with five straight to finish the quarter.

With just one game left on the regular season schedule and tournament seedings on the line, the Seahawks got a big boost from their leader as Anthony DiMauro took over the game, scoring 11 points during a 13-0 run which propelled the Seahawks into a 10-point lead in under three minutes.

After starting the rally with three free throws, DiMauro put back a miss, drove strong to the hoop and then turned three successive trips by Hall-Dale into fast breaks, two of which he finished himself and a third he assisted Andrew Hallinan on.

A three-pointer by Sam Shepard of the Bulldogs sparked a mini 7-2 run but John Hepburn put back a miss and hit two from the line. It appeared the Seahawks had a comfortable lead at this point, but Hall-Dale continued to force the issue as Allen scored from the floor and added two free throws.

After two Hallinan free throws, Shepard successfully hit three from the line after he was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer to cut the lead to four with under one minute to play. Evan Hepburn hit one of two from the line before a three-pointer by Michael Woods came with under five seconds to play forcing Boothbay to just successfully inbound the ball.

The Seahawks seemed fresh and ready to go early in the game as they jumped out to an 8-2 lead as four different players scored, but again early foul trouble played a factor as the quick start soon fizzled and a 12-point first quarter was followed by just six points in the second  quarter and the two-point deficit at the break.

DiMauro led the Seahawks with 20 points and is closing in on 1,000 career points as he and his fellow seniors prepare for their final game at Porter Memorial on Thursday as they entertain Wiscasset.

With this win, the Seahawks moved back into first place and seem a lock to enter the tournament as the number one seed, with the conference championship game having no bearing on that position.