KENNEBUNK — Basketball is a game of runs, and almost always, the team that strings together enough scoring runs will come out on top.

That proved true on Tuesday night as the visiting Poland Knights used big runs in the first and third quarters on their way to a 65-42 win over Kennebunk.

Poland opened the game on an 8-0 scoring run before the host Rams finally got on the board with a score from Zach MacKinnon at the 4:20 mark of the first.

The Rams’ Jack Lapham scored six points in the final four minutes to help cut the Poland lead down to 13-9 at the end of the opening frame.

Poland (6-5) scored the first two points of the second quarter, but Kennebunk (4-7) responded with seven straight points ”“ including a conventional 3-point play from center Travon Bradford ”“ to take a 16-15 lead with 5:45 left in the half.

The two squads went back-and-forth in the final five minutes and the game would have went into the break with Poland up just one, but the Knights’ Caleb Hodgkin hit a running 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it a four-point advantage.

“The first half, we had a game plan, and we executed it well,” said Kennebunk coach Barrett Belanger. “They hit a buzzer-beater at the end to make it a four-point game, but we had a goal that we wanted to achieve and the kids were doing it.”

Poland made a major adjustment in the second half, as Knights coach Tyler Tracy switched to a zone defense, which brought the Rams offense to a screeching halt.

The Rams managed just four points in the third, while Poland scored 16 ”“ including a 13-0 run to end the period.

“When we went to the 2-3 zone that really helped. I thought we were a little flat at the end of the first quarter and in the second quarter, and the zone kind of got us going,” said Tracy.

“Second half, they made a switch defensively and we just didn’t handle the switch,” said Belanger.

Belanger also said he knew the Knights were going to heat up offensively at some point.

“We knew they were going to start hitting shots, which I didn’t think they did all that much in the first half, and in the third quarter they came out and shot well ”¦ and (they) kind of opened up the game from there,” said Belanger.

Poland took a 44-28 lead into the fourth quarter and cruised to the win from there.

Kennebunk was led by Lapham with 14 points, while Justin Wiggins added seven points and Ryan Guevin hit two 3-pointers to finish with six points.

Derek Michaud led Poland with 20 points, including 15 in the second half. John Fossett finished with 19 points and Alan Young chipped in with 11 points in the win.

The Rams may have dropped to 4-7 with the loss, but their coach is happy with their progression so far this season.

“Regardless of outcome of games, from a coaching standpoint we are seeing improvement where we are looking to see improvement,” said Belanger.

— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at 282-1535, ext. 322 or [email protected].