Maine High School Basketball Tournament Highlights Top Moments

From selfless plays to powerful dunks, the tournament has showcased the best of Maine hoops so far.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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The Maine high school basketball tournament has already produced several iconic moments, including a game-saving charge by Ellsworth's Allie Bivins, high-flying dunks from Cony's offense, 40-point scoring performances, and a clutch fourth-quarter takeover by Bangor's Nate Grunkemeyer.

Why it matters

These standout plays and performances showcase the talent and excitement of Maine high school basketball, building anticipation for the remainder of the tournament and highlighting the passion and skill of the student-athletes competing.

The details

In a close game against Old Town, Ellsworth junior Allie Bivins made a crucial defensive play, taking a charge in the final seconds to secure the upset win for her team. The high-powered Cony Rams showcased their offensive firepower with three different players throwing down emphatic dunks in their victory over Presque Isle. Wisdom's Ava Lerman and Easton's Mason Pelletier each scored over 40 points in their tournament-opening wins, while Bangor's Nate Grunkemeyer took over in the fourth quarter to lead his team to a win over Lewiston.

  • On Friday night, Allie Bivins took the game-saving charge for Ellsworth.
  • On Saturday, Cony's dunking display came in their win over Presque Isle.
  • Last week, Ava Lerman of Wisdom scored 41 points and Mason Pelletier of Easton scored 42 points in their respective tournament openers.
  • On Saturday night, Nate Grunkemeyer scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead Bangor to victory over Lewiston.

The players

Allie Bivins

A junior forward for the Ellsworth High School basketball team who made a game-saving defensive play in the final seconds of their upset win over Old Town.

Ben Hanke

A player for the Cony High School basketball team, known for their high-powered offense and emphatic dunks.

Parker Morin

A player for the Cony High School basketball team, known for their high-powered offense and emphatic dunks.

Carter Brathwaite

A player for the Cony High School basketball team, known for their high-powered offense and emphatic dunks.

Ava Lerman

A senior guard for the Wisdom High School girls basketball team who scored 41 points in her team's tournament-opening win.

Mason Pelletier

A sophomore forward for the Easton High School boys basketball team who scored 42 points in his team's tournament-opening win.

Nate Grunkemeyer

A sophomore who is the leading scorer and rebounder for the Bangor High School basketball team, and scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead his team to victory over Lewiston.

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What they’re saying

“She's that type of player. That was unbelievable.”

— Andy Pooler, Ellsworth coach (Bangor Daily News)

“We just play our basketball. We get out in transition, these guys, they fly around. That's what we do in practices, we work on that. They seize the moment when they can.”

— Isaiah Brathwaite, Cony coach (Bangor Daily News)

“It didn't feel like 41 but it was a great feeling.”

— Ava Lerman (Bangor Daily News)

“That's my career high. We have the biggest crowd throughout our whole season, and it feels great to hear the crowd cheer and them call your name after.”

— Mason Pelletier (Bangor Daily News)

“They told me to be aggressive, and that's what I did.”

— Nate Grunkemeyer (Bangor Daily News)

The takeaway

The Maine high school basketball tournament has already provided a thrilling showcase of the state's top talent, with standout individual performances and team efforts that have captivated fans and built excitement for the remainder of the postseason.