Energy carries Bravs to blowout win vs. Stars

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BROWNSTOWN

Exploding for 31 points in the first quarter of Friday’s game, the Class 3A No. 4 Brownstown Central boys basketball team couldn’t be denied a win against visiting Class 4A Bedford North Lawrence.

The Braves hit eight 3-pointers without a miss in the first and went on to win 91-67 — tying for the most points in a game for Brownstown this season.

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“We made shots,” Braves coach Dave Benter said. “I don’t remember, in 18 years, a (Brownstown) team coming out and shooting the basketball that well. Some of that led to our energy on the defensive end, but I thought we moved the basketball well and played with energy on the offensive end.”

The Braves’ 3-pointers gave them an 18-7 lead three minutes into the opening quarter.

Jacoby Shade opened with back-to-back treys, Cody Waskom added a pair of 3s and Cam Shoemaker and Zach McCory each hit one from deep.

The Braves continued burying 3-pointers to close the quarter, with Matthew Nierman and Waskom hitting treys, as they took a 31-16 lead after eight minutes of play.

Brownstown was 8 for 9 from 3-point range in the first quarter, missing just one on a full-court shot at the buzzer.

A 6-0 run from the 4:37 to 3:31 mark put the Braves up 42-23 in the second quarter.

At the half, Brownstown led 46-29.

After halftime, the Braves widened the gap by capitalizing on BNL turnovers as they went on a 10-0 run from 6:57 to 5:23.

A missed and-one opportunity by the Stars’ Braxton Day stopped the streak, but the Braves picked it back up immediately, stringing together 10 unanswered points behind 3-pointers by Shade and Carson Lambring.

The Braves led 74-47 after 24 minutes with BNL’s Garrett Flinn sinking two free throws following a foul at the buzzer.

Leading 87-59 with 3:31 left in the game, the Braves emptied their bench as they cruised to the win.

“They had to play fast in order to come back,” Benter said. “We just continued to have energy. I challenged our guys at halftime to win the second half and play with the same energy we had in the first half, and I thought we did. We played with great energy on both ends of the floor.”

Lambring led the Braves (17-2) with 21 points, Waskom had 19 and Shade chipped in 16.

Day topped the Stars (13-9) in scoring with 23 points.

On the boards, the Braves won the rebounding battle 34-33.

Under Benter, this marks the eighth straight season Brownstown has amassed 17 or more wins.

On Tuesday, the Braves will play at Floyd Central.

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