SOUTH PORTLAND — Dustin Cole of Bonny Eagle is a good player to have at crunch time, or any other time for that matter.
The sophomore point guard can control the game with his ball handling, his scoring and his accuracy from the free-throw line.
Additional Photos
Cole did all of the above when the game was still in doubt Tuesday night, leading the Scots to a 56-49 win over South Portland in a Western Class A basketball game at Beal Gym.
Cole scored 26 points and was a perfect 12 for 12 from the line as Bonny Eagle (11-2) won its seventh straight. The Scots are unbeaten (6-0) on the road.
Cole scored 13 points in the fourth quarter – nine from the line – as the Scots took control.
Cole converted two three-point plays in the fourth quarter, driving for a basket while being fouled and converting the free throws.
Asked how his team prevailed, Coach Phil Bourassa said: “We made free throws.”
The Scots sank 19 of 23.
Cole was the difference, as he so often has been in his brief schoolboy career.
With his team ahead, he ran time off the clock by dribbling around, forcing the Red Riots to foul. He needed only a little opening in scoring on his two fourth-quarter drives.
Cole pointed to a basket late in the third quarter that turned the game around. It was a hard one to forget. Cole Libby dunked on a breakaway to give the Scots a one-point, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“After Cole’s dunk, we knew we had the momentum,” he said.
Libby followed with a 3-pointer from the top of the key before Tanner Hyland of the Red Riots hit a 3-pointer from the corner to make it a one-point game (36-35 Scots) after three quarters.
Bonny Eagle scored the first five points of the fourth.
South Portland (9-4) cut it to four points three times in the final three minutes but couldn’t get any closer.
The first time the Riots closed to within four, Cole answered with his second three-point play of the quarter. The second time South Portland threatened, he forced the Riots to foul him and sank two from the line. The third time, the Riots couldn’t convert their own three-point play and then, after a timeout, forced a shot on their last chance to get closer.
“I knew they would be open,” Cole said of his drives.
Bonny Eagle began the game ranked fourth in Western Class A but moved up to third, behind Deering and Portland and ahead of Cheverus.
“We lost to a very good team,” said South Portland Coach Phil Conley. “We’re a good team, too. It was a four- or five-point game for most of the night. Cole hit some big shots and got to the line.”
Libby added 10 points for the Scots.
Jordan Muller paced the Riots with 13 points, and 6-foot-6 center Jack Tolan added 10. Logan Gaddar had 11 rebounds for the Riots.
The Riots led 10-4 after one quarter. The Scots outscored South Portland 16-10 in the second quarter to tie it 20-20 at halftime.
Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at: tchard@pressherald.com
Twitter: TomChardPPH
Send questions/comments to the editors.
