EASTON, Maine — Van Buren beat Easton 63-54 on Thursday, after a fiercely competitive game in which the two teams swapped leads several times.
While Easton ended the first quarter leading 13-10, Van Buren fought back in the second half, but Easton managed to cling to a slim 26-25 lead at the halftime break.
Easton maintained a slim lead throughout much of the third quarter, but were able to end it ahead of Van Buren, 38-37. But it was the fourth quarter in which the Bears experienced trouble.
Easton was unable to rally its offense for several minutes, as Van Buren unleashed a defensive prowess it had not shown earlier. The Crusaders offense also came through, putting several more points on the board.
Though Easton had a few last-minute 3-pointers, it was not enough to take back the lead.
Van Buren players defend Easton in a basketball game at Easton High School on Thursday. (David Marino Jr. | The Star-Herald)
While Easton coach Brad Trask said his team had shown a significant amount of effort, he believed Van Buren had won the game through its vigorous defense in the second half.
“Credit to them for making adjustments,” Trask said. “They shot the ball well and hit their foul shots at the end of the game.”
Van Buren coach Steve Lapierre was happy with how his team played, noting that the Crusaders were able to hold off the great 3-point shooters of Easton.
“We needed to play defense and get out on 3-point shooters,” Lapierre said. “It’s just a matter of coming out and defending and rebounding.
In a game earlier that day, the Easton girls basketball team won its first game of the season beating Van Buren 51-27.
Junior Isaiah Morales led Van Buren with 24 points, including eight successful free throws. Freshman Henry Hebert had 16 points, while senior Luc Perreault had 11.
Easton’s top scorer was junior Camden Michaud with 19 points. Junior Owen Nicholson had eight points, while senior Matthew Pangburn and junior Kody Carter both had six.
