WINDHAM — For one quarter, it looked like Massabesic had a chance at its second victory of the season. But a telling stretch in the second quarter ended the Mustangs’ hope, as host Windham pulled away and never looked back in a 67-42 win in an SMAA boys basketball game on Thursday night.

The Eagles (8-4) jumped out to a 7-1 start, but Massabesic (1-11) fought back to 7-5. Windham pulled away again only for the Mustangs to answer, tying the game at 13-13 on a Dan Amabile 3-pointer with 2:30 left in the opening quarter.

Dawson Renaud hit a runner at the buzzer for Massabesic to cut Windham’s lead to 18-16 after the first eight minutes, signaling that the Mustangs were ready for a battle.

“We were pushing the ball and we were getting to the free throw line,” Massabesic head coach Ramone Jones said of his team’s first quarter effort. “(Windham) missed a few shots. They were making mistakes at the beginning, so that helped us to kind of get our bearings and get going.”

That battle lasted for three more minutes, as the Eagle lead stayed at two ”“ 22-20 ”“ with 5:03 left in the second quarter.

Windham head coach Kevin Millington called a timeout at that point, and his message was heard, as his team went on an 18-2 run to end the half. The run began with a Ryan Gorman 3-pointer and a Greg Gledhill put-back, and a Kevin Weisser transition layup soon followed.

“We just tried to increase our defensive intensity. And then when that happens, we can run; we’re a running team,” said Millington. “That little stretch, the last 3-4 minutes of the second quarter, we really got out and ran, got some easy baskets.”

“They settled down a little bit and made a couple of shots, and they started on a little bit of a run,” said Jones. “We turned the ball over a little bit, that’s when the fatigue set in.”

What was just a two-point lead after one quarter ballooned to a 40-23 Windham advantage at halftime, as the Mustangs began to wear down.

Jones said his team has been battling injuries all season, and three players didn’t even make the trip on Thursday due to either injuries or sickness. Both Amabile (hurt shoulder) and Renaud (sick) played sparingly in the second half, going scoreless after a combined 16 points in the first half.

“Guys play hard, they run out of a little bit of gas. They’re sick; guys are throwing up in there,” said Jones. “I’m just so proud of them and that they’re continuing to play and they’re not making excuses.

“I can’t ask for more out of them; they’re giving everything they got.”

Windham’s Weisser also had a quiet second half, but it was well-earned after pouring in 22 points in the first half ”“ including a 3-pointer at the buzzer at the end of the second quarter. Weisser then put an exclamation point on his night with his lone bucket of the second half ”“ an NBA-range 3-pointer in the third quarter.

“He’s got unlimited range,” Millington said of Weisser, who finished with a game-high 25 points.

Massabesic struggled in the second half, totaling just 10 points in the through the first 13 minutes of the half, but finished strong at the end.

“It’s to the last buzzer. We were down by 30 and I challenged them to cut it down to 20, and that’s what they do,” said Jones. “I’m happy with their effort and they’re energy.”

The Mustangs have six more games left in the regular season, including five at home. Jones said he hopes some health and some “home cooking” will mean some more wins for his squad.

— Sports Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.