DIXFIELD – A strong defense is the best offense, and that’s precisely how the Dirigo boys’ basketball team went about handling Hall-Dale at Defoe Gymnasium on Tuesday.
A well-balanced effort was a key offensively as Spencer Berry and Colby Knapp led the way with a combined 27 points as the bigger Cougars cruised to an impressive 68-29 triumph against the Bulldogs.
Dirigo (4-0) proved to be too strong in the paint and on the glass. The Cougars are off to their best start in years, and they have the ability to substitute freely because of their depth.
“Our offense feeds off our defense,” Dirigo 6-foot-4 freshman center Tom Knight said. “We played really well tonight, and we scored a lot of points off turnovers and fast breaks. Defense is our biggest priority.”
Dirigo pulled ahead 23-9 on the heels of an 8-0 run to start the second quarter and never blinked. Mike Holmquist (nine points, nine rebounds) started it off with a 10-foot jumper and Knight (seven points, five rebounds) scored off one of four assists by Josh Daley. Knight put back an offensive rebound and Daley added a basket.
Dirigo made seven of 12 shots in the second quarter, and led 30-16 at halftime.
Hall-Dale had taken a short lived 8-7 lead in the first, but didn’t score another field goal until Shane Abbott scored with 4:12 left in the half.
“We tried not to get out rebounded,” Hall Dale coach Tom Nadeau said. “But Dirigo was just too big and strong; their athleticism really scored. We wanted to try and force some outside shots.”
The Bulldogs scored baskets by Abbott and Justin Poland early in the third quarter, but their next field goal was a Jay Skillings trey with 6:22 left in the game.
Dirigo iced the game with a big run, beginning with baskets by Holmquist and Berry (eight rebounds). The Cougars received a big spark from Gary Holman, who scored eight points in less than one minute. Holman drained a trey from the corner and sank five throws.
“I’m sure Dirigo liked the (fast) tempo,” Nadeau said. “We prefer a slow half court, but we played their game and we had no presence underneath.”
Dirigo shot 57 percent from the floor and made 17 of 29 free throws in the game.
Hall Dale shot 24 percent and committed 17 turnovers.
“We played really well as a team,” Knapp said. “Every one had an opportunity to play and contribute.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
