STANDISH — In a game that came down to fundamentals, senior guard Cole Libby put on a clinic.

Libby scored 23 points, including 15 of his team’s final 17, to lead Bonny Eagle to a 46-39 victory over Cheverus in a Western Class A boys’ basketball game before a full house Tuesday night.

Dustin Cole added 14 for the Scots (5-2), who bounced back from a 57-55 overtime loss Friday night at home to unbeaten Deering.

“Our kids weren’t discouraged at all by that loss,” said Bonny Eagle Coach Phil Bourassa. “They never hung their heads. The film was tough to watch but what we learned from that game helped us tonight.”

The Stags (6-1), who went undefeated last season before falling to Bangor in the state final, had won 59 of their previous 60 regular-season games over three years.

“It’s not surprising at all,” said Cheverus Coach Bob Brown. “They’re a very good team, a very well-coached team, and they have two of the better players (Libby and Cole) in the league.”

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Louie DiStasio led Cheverus with 15 points, 11 in the second half. Cam Olson was strong inside, adding 14.

The Stags enjoyed a considerable edge in height. Bonny Eagle’s tallest starter was Libby at 6-foot-2. Cheverus’ starting lineup featured two players at 6-4 and one at 6-6.

“It’s still a game of execution and fundamentals,” Brown said, “and we did not execute.”

The Stags took the lead in short bursts but never were able to assume command despite a 17-10 halftime lead. The Scots clawed back, outscoring the Stags 17-10 in the third quarter. Libby closed the period with a 3-pointer to make it 27-27.

“When I hit that 3, I felt momentum build,” Libby said. “We knew we just had to play our own game, not let them control what we do.”

Cheverus helped there.

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“We never did anything we were supposed to do offensively,” Brown said. “We played good defense until the fourth quarter, then we broke down.”

That’s when Libby stepped up. The fourth quarter opened to a contentious start; the referee stopped play and ordered a fan removed seconds after the ball was put in play.

Cheverus built a five-point lead on a 3 by DiStasio and a turnaround jumper by Olson. Libby drove to make it 32-29 with 5:55 to play. DiStasio’s outside shot pushed the Stags’ lead to 34-29. Cole hit two free throws to pull the Scots to 34-31.

From there, Libby went 11 of 13 from the line over the final four minutes — including 3 of 3 after DiStasio fouled him on a shot beyond the arc that gave the Scots the lead for the last time, 37-36. Equally important, Libby came up with several of his 15 rebounds in the quarter.

“We made some shots down the stretch. We made some free throws and we pulled one out,” Bourassa said. “We boxed out well down the stretch, which limited them to one shot (on most possessions) and that was huge.”

Brown is eager to see his players’ reactions.

“Sometimes a team needs a wake-up call,” Brown said. “We’ll find out about the character of the guys, so this is not all bad. I’ve got good kids. They will respond. That I know.”

 


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