TURNER — Leavitt has proven itself worthy to compete in the redistricted world of Class A boys’ basketball. The Hornets just aren’t quite good enough yet to string together baskets and put away a game in the fourth quarter.

The Hornets whittled a 14-point deficit to six in the closing minutes on Thursday night, but Kennebunk hit seven of eight from the free-throw line to seal a 60-49 verdict at Mitchell Gym.

Other than a one-sided loss to Class AA Oxford Hills, Leavitt (0-5) hasn’t looked like a typical bottom-of-the-standings outfit. The Hornets fell to Mt. Ararat, Morse and Fryeburg by a total of nine points.

“Those first three, I think we could have won all three of them, really,” Leavitt coach Mike Hathaway said. “This one was a little bit more of an uphill battle, because they hit some shots and got that lead. I think we can play with a lot of teams. We need to shore up a few areas to put some games away and win them.”

Kennebunk (3-1) never trailed, thanks largely to the perimeter exploits of senior swingman Zach MacKinnon.

He scored 18 of his game-high 22 points in the first half, including four 3-pointers, vaulting the Rams to a double-digit lead midway through the second quarter.

“It makes things easy when you can get a guy rolling,” Kennebunk coach Barrett Belanger said. “When Zach starts to get hot, get him the ball and get out of the way. We were able to do that in the first half to get that lead.”

Justin Wiggins added 17 points and six rebounds for Kennebunk, and 6-foot-7, 280-pound center Travon Bradford coupled 14 points with a team-leading 12 rebounds. The duo combined for 22 in the second half.

Wiggins drew the defensive assignment of shadowing Leavitt junior Eli Calder, who scored seven of his 18 points in a three-minute span of the fourth quarter to make a game of it. Max Green delivered 12 points and six assists, while Nathanael Goulette notched nine points and six assists off the bench for the Hornets.

MacKinnon received long-range support from Wiggins and freshman Cameron Lovejoy as the Rams raised the temperature from a 4-for-18 start. Wiggins and Lovejoy’s consecutive 3-pointers put Kennebunk in front, 30-15, with 1:44 left in the half.

“A lot of times we had a hand in their faces. They’re a pretty perimeter oriented team,” Hathaway said. “Our game plan was to make them put it on the floor, but they moved the ball well. When you move the ball well, you’re eventually going to find a guy open behind the arc.”

Billy Bedard’s drive and Goulette’s 3-point play off a steal by D’Andre James (10 rebounds, five thefts) cut it to a dozen, 32-20, at the half. 

Leavitt committed 17 of its 22 turnovers before the break.

Goulette and James scored consecutively, the latter a traditional 3-point play, to make it single digits at 39-31. Wiggins answered with a trey and a hook shot, and buckets by John Kiley and MacKinnon restored the double-digit advantage, 48-34, with eight minutes to go.

“We knew at some point they were going to start pressing and hitting some shots,” Belanger said. “We said at halftime they’re going to get their run. It’s a matter of not completely breaking and getting your run back.”

Kennebunk turned it over between back-to-back 3s from Levi Craig and Calder. After a missed front end of a 1-and-1 by the Rams, Calder drained a 12-footer. Green’s steal led to a free throw that cut the gap to 51-45 with 2:27 to go.

Wiggins calmly worked the ball inside to Bradford to halt the run. Green’s 3-pointer was the lone Leavitt field goal thereafter.

Four of Leavitt’s top seven players, including starters Craig, Green and Bedard, are football standouts who sat out their junior basketball season a year ago.

“We’re struggling a little bit offensively. We have a hard time putting together runs because we have a hard time putting it in the basket,” Hathaway said. “It seemed like sometimes we’d get the stop but not get the hoop on the other end.”

koakes@sunjournal.com