Red Raiders Dominate D-Y In Parquet Tilt

Intense defensive pressure spelled victory for Barnstable (2-0) once again as the Red Raider boys downed the Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins (1-1), 73-46 last night on the road.

Point guard Justin Alvaran led the Red & White in scoring with 15 points, while Charlie Rice and Jason Eddy each had 13. D-Y's Ryan Donahue led all scorers with 20 points, but it was not enough as Barnstable's footwork and fast-paced offense seemed to eventually tire out the Dolphins.

Rebounding also helped Barnstable as Nick Peabody led the Red Raiders for the second straight game in that category with eight (8) boards, followed by Everett Walsh with seven (7) and Charlie Rice with six (6). Eight Barnstable players recorded defensive steals on the night, with Eddy getting three. All but two of Barnstable's 14-man roster recorded points scored.

But at the outset of this exciting and energetic affair, buoyed by, at times, raucous fans on both sides of the D-Y gymnasium, it appeared the host Dolphins might give the Red Raiders a run for their money. D-Y led BHS 14-13 after the first quarter.

Donahue netted the first basket for the hosts to make it 2-0, but Alvaran countered that with a bank shot to make it 2-2 and from there the lead went back and forth to the end of the first frame, with D-Y on top, 14-13, thanks to a pair of free throws.

But that would be the last lead the Dolphins would enjoy as Jake Kipnes found Rice on a quick feed to make it 15-14. Momentum seemed to be quickly building for Barnstable as Walsh stole the ball and dumped it to Rice on the fly who laid in a hotly contested underhand finger-roll, but was called for the offensive foul to negate the basket as the gym erupted.

Kipnes then followed suit with a steal and went to the bucket alone only to be hacked but the orb could not find its way down. With the tenor and pace of the game gaining speed, Peabody ripped down another one of his eight rebounds, fired it to Kipnes who sailed it to Walsh who got fouled and Walsh sank both freebies to make it 17-14.

There was no turning back for Barnstable.

Dylan Morris ramped things up as he pick-pocketed the D-Y ball-handler, then took it in himself in heavy traffic and Peabody was right there for the rebound on the shot, got fouled and sank it with a fist-pumping exclamation. Even though D-Y's Donahue drained a jumper to make it 19-16, the crescendo in the Dolphin cage mounted.

Steals, rebounds, missed shots... a veritable battle beneath the boards ensued as D-Y gave a yeoman's effort in trying to claw its way back into the fray. With 5:51 left in the half, Barnstable's Eddy staged a textbook charge call to negate a D-Y basket that would have brought the Dolphins within a hair of knotting it up.

But D-Y's Jamari Hall sank a pair of free throws to make it 19-18 and the Dolphins seemed on the cusp of turning this game the other way. Kipnes, playing in front of his father (D-Y first-year head coach Chuck Kipnes), then took matters into his own hands and drove the lane only to get caught in the undertow of D-Y's swarming arms. The junior point guard sank one of two at the line to make it 20-18 and it was just enough breathing room for BHS to flip the switch.

Alvaran stole the ball near the top of the key, dished it to Kipnes who sent it to Eddy who laid it in to make it 22-18, and then there seemed no stopping the Alvaran to Eddy express.

A Rice rebound to Alvaran to Eddy resulted in Eddy burying his first of hopefully many downtown treys to make it 25-18 and BHS was off to the races. Walsh and Kipnes both sent assists to Eddy as time waned in the half, with Eddy sinking a pair of baskets to make it 36-27 at intermission.

Barnstable tacked on another 37 points in the second half, in stark contrast to D-Y's 19 second-half points.