Bonny Eagle sure likes the start of the second half. In two games, the Scots have opened the third quarter with 11-point runs.

On Tuesday night, Bonny Eagle used that surge to beat Biddeford 56-45. On opening night last Friday, the Scots quickly overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Deering, 44-41.

Even more impressive was that both wins were on the road.

“My brief halftime speeches must have worked,” said Coach Phil Bourassa. “No, the kids deserve all the credit. So far this year we’ve done well in the third quarter.”

What did Bourassa like most about Tuesday night’s win against his alma mater?

“I like the fact we beat a pretty good team. They’re well-coached,” said Bourassa, in his second year with the Scots.

Bourassa was a football and basketball standout at Biddeford. It was his first victory against his old school, as Bonny Eagle lost both of its games against Biddeford last season.

Tonight, Bonny Eagle will play its home opener against Noble.

Freshman point guard Dustin Cole came into the season with a reputation as a very skilled player. In two games, he’s lived up to the billing.

Against Biddeford, the 5-foot-7 Cole scored a game-high 19 points. He had three points in the opener against Deering.

“Dustin played very well,” said Bourassa. “Some of the other players were a little off offensively so he picked up the slack. Dustin has a very good handle with the ball and is comfortable with our offense. He has run it in AAU ball, and now here.”

Cole made four 3-pointers against Biddeford.

“He also had a couple of nice drives to the basket and was 4 for 4 from the line,” said Bourassa, who was also a quick guard in his playing days.

Point guard is a challenging position. For a freshman to step in and perform well in the SMAA says a lot about his ability and character.

“I taught him for two years in middle school,” said Bourassa, a physical education teacher at Bonny Eagle Middle School.

“He’s a better young man than a player. He’s very coachable. I knew Dustin had the talent. He’s been outstanding at each level. I wasn’t sure it would transform in varsity so quickly. I’ve been pleasantly surprised so far.”

Bourassa also praised the defensive play of Cole Libby, calling him “a lockdown defender.”

While saying he expected the Scots to be 2-0, Bourassa said there’s still a lot of work to do.

After Noble, the Scots play at Thornton Academy next Tuesday.

“I think it’s a pretty balanced league for the most part,” said Bourassa.

MT. ARARAT IS savoring its first victory against rival Brunswick in three seasons after Tuesday night’s 61-52 decision before a crowded gym at Mt. Ararat.

The Eagles used an 18-6 scoring edge in the third quarter to improve to 2-0.

“It’s one thing to go 2-0 when people didn’t think you had much, but it’s something else to do it against a rival like Brunswick,” said Eagles Coach Aaron Watson.

“I think we’ve surprised a few people around the league, but it wasn’t a surprise for us. Todd Hanson has a great program at Brunswick. It’s always good to get a win against a coach I respect.”

In a preseason poll of KVAC coaches, Edward Little was ranked first in the South, followed by Cony and Brunswick. The rankings stopped after the first three, but Mt. Ararat would have been somewhere in the middle to lower part of the South had the coaches extended the rankings.

In his eighth season as head coach, Watson said he could probably count on one hand the number of wins he has over the Dragons.

Both point guards, Josh Walker of Mt. Ararat and Mitchell Black of Brunswick, had outstanding games. Walker finished with 19 points and Black had 21.

Luke Liedman scored 13 points and had 12 rebounds for Mt. Ararat. The goal for the Eagles is to improve upon last year’s 8-10 record and get into the Eastern Class A tournament. They’re off to a great start.

The teams will meet again on Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 17, at Brunswick. The Eagles play at Cony tonight, while Brunswick hosts Edward Little.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com

 

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