WESTBROOK — Playing in front of a standing-room only home crowd, the Westbrook High boys’ basketball team was intent on bouncing back from a tough loss and enjoying its senior night.
The Blue Blazes, paced by a tenacious defense, clutch scoring from seniors Kelson Custodio and Kolbyn Dunphe, and their deep bench, did just that Friday night, improving to 12-3 with a 59-39 Class A South win against Mt. Ararat.
Westbrook entered the game No. 2 in the Heal points standings after a disappointing 36-24 home loss against No. 1 Falmouth. In that game, Westbrook was shut out in the first quarter and scored just seven points in the first half.
“We just wanted to put on a show for (the fans). This is the most packed it’s been all year,” said Dunphe, whose own friends and family section filled a quarter of the side bleachers. “The students were cheering and being loud for us and we tried to do the best we could.”
Dunphe led all scorers with 16 points. He helped put away the Eagles with a 3-pointer and two inside baskets in a 9-0 run that pushed the lead to 55-34 after Mt. Ararat’s Kasey Bergeron (12 points) and Caleb Murphy had scored the first two baskets of the fourth quarter.
Custodio finished with 14 points. He said the loss to Falmouth, “was the past. We put that behind us. We’re focused on the future right now.”
Bergeron was the only player in double figures for Mt. Ararat, which dipped to 7-7. The Eagles entered the game 10th in the 12-team division and will likely need an upset win (they host Falmouth and Kennebunk) to climb into the top eight and earn a playoff spot.
Westbrook started Friday night’s game quickly with a 3-pointer from Micah Lombardo, a senior making a rare start, and pulled ahead 10-2 when senior Quincy Seavey (6 points) also connected from behind the arc.
But despite its defense forcing Mt. Ararat into 20 first-half turnovers, points were not coming rapidly.
Custodio, a senior transfer from Houston, used his strong 6-foot frame and good patience to work inside for nine points in the second quarter, providing a needed spark.
“I feel like my teammates always have my back no matter what, so it was my time to have their back in that moment,” Custodio said.
Westbrook was saddled with a bit of foul trouble, which limited the effectiveness of its top inside scorers, Aiden Taylor and Ben Eugley, but both delivered seven points.
Mt. Ararat, which was able to limit turnovers in the second half, did make one mini-run with nine consecutive points in the third quarter, cutting an 18-point deficit to 36-27. Westbrook Coach Bryan Hoy took a timeout and the Blazes made a point of getting the ball inside to get Taylor and Eugley, and then got a 3-pointer from Seavey to push the lead back into the comfort area at 44-30.
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