BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. -- Bridgeport's offensive execution and aggression helped allow the Indians to score consistently through the first three quarters of Thursday's matchup with crosstown rival Robert C. Byrd.
When the Tribe upped their level of defense, Bridgeport began to buckle down on the Eagles, and in turn, the Indians pulled away for a 67-47 victory in a game they led by double digits in for the final 15-plus minutes.
"For the most part, we took good shots," BHS head coach Dave Marshall said. "We've preached that in the games we've played this week against Fairmont Senior and Byrd and the way they like to play up and down and take advantage of turnovers and bad shots. We didn't do it much and that's a credit to these seniors understanding this system. They're starting to understand basketball and that's how you control that thing. In the process, you get better shots and they have a better chance of going in.
"Defensively, we played pretty well. It wasn't terrible in the first quarter, but hats off to Byrd. We know they can play and they're quick. When you help off the bounce, they can shoot. I'm glad we were able to grind it out. They have a good group over there and we know that."
Both teams shot well in the first quarter, with the Indians (3-0) making 7-of-13 field-goal attempts and the Eagles connecting on 6-of-10 shots in what was a tightly contested frame that finished with BHS leading, 17-16.
RCB (1-1) got a pair of free throws from Camryn Newsuan to open the second-quarter scoring, but after Bridgeport's Jack Spatafore scored the next three points on one foul shot and a driving layup, the Indians were in front for good.
Anderson McDougal and Spatafore added driving layups a short time later for a 24-18 lead, and though the Eagles got two late three-pointers in the half from Manny Holmes, a layup from Gavin Williams just before time expired sent the Tribe to halftime with a 37-28 lead.
"We talk all the time about paint touches," Marshall said. "There are different ways to get there, but attacking people off the dribble, we like to get two feet in the paint. Something about the three being a lot easier to shoot when it comes off a paint touch."
Bridgeport had made 15-of-25 shots through two quarters, while the Eagles shot 10 for 17 but had 12 turnovers through two quarters to the Indians' five.
"We didn't run offense like we ran offense in the opener," Eagles' head coach Basil Lucas said. "This is a rivalry game and I felt like our players were playing individually instead of as a team. That's what I'm most disappointed in. I give Bridgeport a ton of credit. They were way more physical than we were and we didn't match the intensity. "
Phoenix Sickles and Spatafore accounted for the first five points of the second half to up the BHS lead to 14, before the Eagles' Logan Boyce made the first of his five second-half triples.
BHS countered that with a 6-1 spurt that featured one free throw apiece from McDougal and Landon Sanders, Sickles' mid-range jumper and Spatafore's second-chance basket for a 48-32 advantage.
Bridgeport made 7-of-9 field-goal attempts in the third and held a 58-37 lead with 8 minutes remaining.
"Our energy level just dropped, and against a rival, it's hard sometimes when that momentum goes to stop it. We can be a very good basketball team and this is 100 percent a teaching moment," Lucas said. "They're going to understand tomorrow when we're at practice some of the things we need to do to get better if we want to compete on a level with the best teams in West Virginia."
The Indians finished 26 for 46 for better than 56 percent shooting. They had only nine turnovers to the Eagles' 19, along with three double-figure scorers in Sickles (16), Spatafore (16) and McDougal (13).
Williams scored nine on 4-of-5 shooting off the bench.
Marshall credited McDougal for a strong defensive effort, which has been a theme early in the season, according to the Bridgeport coach.
"He's had three really good defensive games against three top-notch point guards," Marshall said. "He's a sophomore and he's going to have days where I'm like, 'who is wearing his jersey?' But he loves the game and he's starting to understand what to do defensively. We're not to calculus yet, but we're definitely in Algebra 2. That's fun for a coach and that's what you work for."
Sickles also grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
Boyce had a game-high 17 points in defeat. Holmes added 11 and Newsuan scored 10.