Buzzer Beater Sends Fort Kent to Its First Main State Game

Aden Jeffers drills a game-winning fade-away shot to send Fort Kent to its first state title appearance

Fort Kent star Aden Jeffers hit the shot heard around the Pine Tree state, as his three-pointer lifted the Warriors into the first state championship game in team history. / Fort Kent Basketball

Fort Kent junior Aden Jeffers hit the shot of his life in Saturday's Maine Class C North regional boys basketball championship against top-seed Caribou. 

A Contested Fade-Away Found the Bottom of the Net as the Buzzer Sounded

Trailing the Vikings 47-46 with 5.8 seconds left after Caribou missed a pair of free throws, Jeffers got the inbound pass, dribbled and drove to the left side of the court, and with about two seconds left, got off a contested fade-away jumper that swished in as time expired, giving the Warriors a 48-47 win at the buzzer. 

“It was just a great feeling, coach just gave me the ball and let me go to work,” Jeffers told WABI 5. “If Fin [Kelly] was there, I would have hit him. It’s just a great feeling just being able to hit that shot and take my team to the state championship. We’re going to make history.”

Jeffers Has Been Clutch Throughout the Postseason

Jeffers is no stranger to making big shots. In Fort Kent’s 70-61 come-from-behind victory against Mattanawcook in the Class C North semifinals, he scored four points for his team on an unconventional play as he was intentionally fouled by Mattanawcook’s Isaac Ritchie, being wrapped in Ritchie’s arms as he went for a layup. The shot fell, and so did Jeffers’ two free throw shots which helped spark his team’s comeback that set them up to play in the Saturday’s regional championship game. 

A Game Which Could Have Gone Either Way

In Saturday’s regional championship. it was a battle all game between the two talented Class C North teams with Fort Kent avenging two regular season losses to Caribou. 

Jeffers led the charge for Fort Kent with 24 points as Caribou’s Owen Corrigan led the Vikings with 20 points. Corrigan scored 11 of his team’s 12 points in the first quarter to hold a 12-11 lead. 

By halftime, Caribou was up 25-19 lead with Corrigan heading into the break with 15 and Jeffers with nine. 

Despite the Warriors taking their first lead since early in the game in the third quarter, the Vikings ended the quarter going on a 5-0 run and went into the final quarter up 38-34. 

Caribou Surged in Front in the Final Minute, Only To Be Stunned

The Warriors got more of a rhythm late in the game, outsourcing Caribou 12-4 to take a 46-42 lead. But the Vikings would respond, scoring on a few grinding possessions and taking a one point lead 34 remaining in the game, setting up Jeffers’ thrilling buzzer beater. 

The win not only took down the top seed in Class C North, but sent No. 3 Fort Kent to its first ever state title championship game where they’ll face the Maranacook Black Bears on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. at the August Civic Center. Ironically, Maranacook won their regional championship game via buzzer beater as Ethan Chilton hit a runner off the glass to give the Black Bears a 49-47 win over Spruce Mountain.