Despite a six-day Thanksgiving layoff, the boys’ basketball team looked strong against a balanced Victory Christian Academy in yesterday’s scrimmage in Swanson Gymnasium.

The two squads played four quarters but reset the score after each one to ensure the contest fell within the rules of a scrimmage. 40 points lit up the scoreboard in a frenetic opening frame that saw active defense and uptempo offense. Randolph Logan got the scoring started on a three-point play before Orlando Morris stole a pass and fed Dylan Kopp for a layup plus the foul to give The Brook an early 6-0 edge. VCA answered back with seven straight points to take a slight lead, but a Paul Coty steal and layup gave the Bears a one-point margin. VCA took the lead back with their second 3-pointer, but a Kopp floater tied the score again at 10-10.

Another 3-pointer gave the visitors a 13-10 advantage, but a tough layup from Morris and a fastbreak score from Coty gave the Bears a 14-13 lead. VCA’s fourth trifecta of the frame gave them a 16-14 edge, the fifth lead change of the quarter. Logan and VCA traded layups that left The Brook trailing 16-18, but a jumper from Morris tied the score at 18-18. With time winding down, VCA scored on a drive and layup, but Coty blocked a shot and went coast-to-coast for a layup to knot the score at 20-20, the fourth tie of the frame. The Bears nearly won the quarter when Morris dropped in a layup after a silky drive, but he had the ball in his hand a fraction after the buzzer and the basket was waved off.

After the first quarter track meet, the tempo throttled back in the second quarter. Morris scored the first points of the frame at the 5:35 mark with a 3-pointer. Kopp hit a floater to give the Bears a 5-0 lead midway through the frame before Coty connected on a 3-pointer. A Kopp putback followed to give the Blue & White a 10-0 advantage before VCA closed the period with a free throw and layup. The Bears took the second quarter 10-3 and led by 7 on the aggregate score at the halfway point of the game.

The lead changed hands four times early in the third period as the Bears fell behind on a VCA jumper, took the lead on a Coty 3-pointer that followed a Logan steal, trailed after a VCA bucket, and took the lead for good on a Kopp triple. Fastbreak layups from Kopp and Coty pushed the Bears’ margin to 10-4 before VCA answered with a pair of layups. Morris made the key defensive play of the period when he took a charge that negated the tying basket. He answered on the other end with a jumper that extended the lead to 12-8. VCA answered with a layup and free throw that cut their deficit to one and after a flurry of missed shots by both teams in the final minute, the Bears earned a 12-11 win in the third to hold an 8-point lead on aggregate.

VCA opened the fourth with their fifth 3-pointer, and first since the opening frame, before the Bears scored seven straight on an acrobatic layup from Kopp, a Coty 3-pointer, and a pair of free throws from Kopp. VCA closed to within 6-7 following another trifecta, but Jeremiah Coty answered with a steal and score to push the Bear lead to 9-6. Four straight points gave VCA a narrow 10-9 edge, but Morris grabbed the lead back for good on a drive and layup. Kopp then blocked a shot and took the ball downcourt for a layup before a Morris steal fed Kopp for a layup. 15-10 Bears. Consecutive layups for VCA pulled them to within a point, but Morris hit a pair of free throws with six seconds left to extend the lead to 17-14. VCA was fouled with two seconds left and hit the first free throw before nearly tying the score when they purposely missed the second free throw and corralled the rebound, but left the layup short at the buzzer. The Bears won their third period of the evening and secured a 10-point victory on aggregate.

Over the 32 minutes, the Bears slowly imposed their will with a frothing defense and multi-pronged offensive attack. If yesterday is a glimpse of the tempo we have to look forward to this season, it could be a very fun winter in Swanson Gymnasium.

Kopp, the island’s #1 ranked senior according to Long Island Basketball Rankings, led the Bears with 22 points. Paul Coty (15), Morris (13), Logan (5), and Jeremiah Coty (4) rounded out a balanced attack.

The Bears are back in action this evening when they host Waldorf in their season and league opener.

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