PORTLAND – The Bonny Eagle boys basketball team overcame a slow start to roll to a 69-53 win over Wells at the Portland High School boys basketball holiday tournament at the Portland Expo on Dec. 27.

Dustin Cole continued his stellar play for the Scots, scoring 27 points with 15 coming in the second half, while fellow guard Cole Libby added 17 of his own.

With back-to-back wins against Gorham and Wells by a combined total of 50 points, Bonny Eagle appears to be playing their best basketball heading into the second half of the season. But don’t tell coach Phil Bourassa that.

After the game against the Warriors on Tuesday, Bourassa could be seen walking behind his team, head down and shoulders slumped, as they shuffled towards the locker room, clearly focusing on what exactly to tell his team after a 16-point win.

When asked about the performance of his team he summed it up in one word, “frustrating.”

Frustrating is not typically a word associated with a blowout victory in an exhibition contest, but Bourassa felt there is always room for improvement.

Despite entering the game with a 6-1 record against a Class B squad struggling to stay in contention for a postseason berth, the Scots came out sluggish. It appeared almost as if the Scots were trying to do too much rather than simplifying their game and doing what they do best.

The Scots allowed Wells to remain close throughout the first quarter. Although Wells was struggling to find their range from the field, they were able to force the Scots into early foul trouble.

Taking a 17-12 heading into the second quarter, the Scots appeared as if they were ready to pull away and allow Bourassa to turn to his bench to provide his reserves with valuable playing time. Unfortunately for the Scots, that didn’t happen.

The Scots opened up the second with a 9-0 run, allowing Bourassa to rest his backcourt. With both Libby and Cole on the bench, Wells was able to take advantage of lackluster passing and an inexperienced lineup. Dylan Stevens provided most of the damage for Wells as he scored 12 of his team-high 22 points in the quarter.

With Stevens heating up from the field and the Scots still trying to get into a rhythm with a young group on the court, Wells was able to creep back into the game as they got as close as two points, 31-29.

To Bourassa’s dismay, he was forced to stop the bleeding by putting both Libby and Cole back into the game. They didn’t disappoint as Libby promptly drilled a deep straightaway 3 while Cole was able to get to the free throw line. Even still, the Scots finished the first half up only four, 33-29.

“We weren’t able to defend people off the dribble,” said Bourassa. “We didn’t box out. We didn’t rotate or communicate. We missed layups and we missed free throws.”

The Scots came out in the second half determined to play up to their potential as Libby started to find his groove, dropping seven points in the quarter. Still, the Scots were unable to pull away as Wells continued to out-rebound and out-hustle the Scots to keep the game’s final outcome up in the air as they trailed by only eight, 48-40, heading into the final eight minutes.

When Wells started to keep Libby in check, Cole was able to find space and use his crafty dribbling ability to penetrate the paint and finish on a variety acrobatic layups. Cole’s fourth quarter performance allowed the Scots to settle down and play as a unit on the defensive end, forcing Wells into contested shots that didn’t drop.

Bourassa didn’t allow his team to celebrate their victory very long, as he said that the team’s next film session is going to be “ugly” as they prepare for their upcoming game against Deering.

Bourassa was also able to find positives from his team’s performance as he was able to utilize the tournament as a time to get his team prepared to play the larger Expo floor. “It’s a good opportunity for these guys to get on the floor. This is where the playoffs start,” he said.