BRATTLEBORO-Playing the Bulldogs for the second time in four days, the Colonels gave the Bulldogs little hope in pulling off the road upset as they raced out to 16 point lead at halftime and never looked back on their way to a 53-33 victory on Tuesday evening at BUHS.
“We talked about taking control of the game early,” stated Coach Evan Chadwick. “I think our energy was great, which gave us the chance to seize momentum.”
Race the Colonels did, as they employed a full court man defense that frustrated the Bulldogs on their way to an quick 8-0 start. Josh McKenney finished a left hand transition bucket, while Jordy Allembert finished two nifty inside moves. After a second chance bucket by Bulldogs big man, Josh Oulette, cut the Colonels’ lead to 8-2, McKenney hit a deep corner three to stretch the lead to 9 only four minutes into the contest.
The Colonels used their depth in the second frame as four different players scored that expanded their lead to 16 at the break. Irvin Melo was a force on both sides of the floor as he converted three steals in a row to go on his own 6-0 run. Ayoub Lahar also got into the action, crashing the glass and finishing two inside buckets, while McKenney also contributed 6 points.
Despite struggling offensively, the Bulldogs showed grit coming out of the break as they were able to narrow the Colonel lead to 12 on several occasions early into the third period. Jason Scaliest hit an NBA range 3 and followed it up with a driving layup, while Burr and Burton also went 3-5 from the free throw line, as the Colonels got into foul trouble due to numerous reach-in fouls that again narrowed the deficit to 12.
“We are still trying to gamble to much on defense,” stated Coach Chadwick. “If we are to take our game to the next level we need to clean those defensive lapses up.”
Any hopes of an epic comeback soon fizzled out for the Bulldogs in the fourth frame as Tristain Evans and Phoenix Chambers each connected from deep to keep the lead comfortable and allow the Colonels to go to 4-0 on the season.
McKenney lead Brattleboro with 16 points, while Evans followed with 11 and Melo contributed 8 points and 6 steals.
The Bulldogs were lead by Oulette’s 8 points.
The Colonels face a big contest on Friday, as the Rutland Red Raiders come to town. Tip is slated for 4:15.
Bellows Falls Basketball 