The Westbrook Blue Blazes built a huge lead – 20 shocking points – over visiting Bonny Eagle early in the teams’ contest Friday night, and they did it very much as the Blazes – that is, as a synergistic whole, rather than a group of individuals: Almost half their roster dropped the ball in the hoop in the opening half alone.

Now the Scots had no intentions of casually taking a beating, of course, and fought back mightily, eventually pulling within three on sheer spirit and sharpened aim.

But the edge belonged to Westbrook in the end, and led by Sean Jany – who scored all 11 of his points in the final quarter – they escaped with the thrilling win, 55-43.

Asked what was required to stop the Scots once they’d built a head of steam, Blazes head coach Mike Burke chuckled, then said: “They’re a very good basketball team. Games like that are the games you want to play. Every time you think you’ve got it sort of sealed up – it was 10 there, with like two minutes to go, and all of a sudden it’s four. The game’s not over till the buzzer goes off.

“You’ve got to play start to finish – against all these teams in the league.”

The Blazes improved to 3-2 with the homecourt victory; they jumped to 4-2 the following day with a 63-55 defeat of Noble. The .667 record is an encouraging sign for Westbrook fans; the team struggled last year, winning just five games through their entire schedule and finishing outside the playoffs.

Bonny Eagle, meanwhile, slipped to 3-2. For the past few years, the Scots have been among Maine’s best high school teams; however, the loss of superstar Dustin Cole to a college career means they’re certainly faced with something of a rebuilding season. Luckily, they retain a wealth of talent and a strong team ethic.

Friday night, the Blazes lit the board first – though it took them several minutes to do so, and Bonny Eagle soon answered for 2-2. Westbrook then went on a run, though, impressively nailing shot after shot while simultaneously stifling the Scots: Derek Breunig, Moses Abwoch, Bailey Ryan, Curtis Knapton and Isaiah Manoogian all drained baskets in the first quarter.

Manoogian’s addition had particular panache: A three from way downtown to just beat the buzzer and put the Blazes up 15-2, it surely stoked the Blazes even further, carried them headlong into the second eight minutes, where they continued to dominate.

“The idea was to come out with energy,” Burke said.

Before Bonny Eagle’s Troy Bogdahn could snap the Westbrook streak, the Scots had fallen behind 22-2; Bogdhan bucketed a three to remind his boys, “Oh right, we can score too,” and from there the action evened out.

In fact, Bonny Eagle stole the momentum then, and held it right up to the break. The Scots added 13 in that time, while holding the Blazes to just four, slashing their lead to 26-15 at the buzzer.

“We knew at some point they were going to make shots,” Burke said of the Scots. “We just had to do what we do. If we score on offense, we get to play zone defense. If we don’t, we have to play man to man, and we’re not quite as good at man as we are at zone. So it’s important for us to score.”

Abwoch notched an immediate two to start the third; Westbrook looked at first as though it might take back control, and indeed, they outscored Bonny Eagle 6-1 in the beginning minutes, but the Scots’ Zach Dubiel pounded a pair of threes as the quarter wound down to reenergize the team and kick off a rally.

Dubiel and Co. methodically dismembered the Blazes’ remaining advantage as the final eight minutes got under way. The Scots played with wild abandon, throwing themselves into Westbrook passes to generate steals and refusing to relinquish rebounds, and even though the Blazes also ratcheted up their intensity, they seemed a step behind, both mentally and physically.

Soon – on Dylan Ricci’s five, Dubiel’s third three, four Malloy free-throws and a spectacular three by Matt Smith that sent him sprawling to the court, egregiously fouled and entitled to a chance from the line – Bonny Eagle had devoured almost the entirety of the lead Westbrook had so ferociously usurped an hour earlier.

46-43 read the board, with just under two minutes to play. Now for the tricky part: Could Bonny Eagle earn enough possessions – and sink enough buckets – to complete their resurgence in so short a span? They took to fouling the Blazes to stop the clock and hopefully win back the ball, but Westbrook played it exactly as they needed to. They made their foul shots and came away with their rebounds, eventually hashing nine more for the 55-43 final.

Jany logged four twos and a trio of free-throws in the fourth, for a total of 11. Manoogian had 11 as well, though his were spread across the game. Abwoch added 10, and Blake Fillmore nine – a nice even spread for the Westbrook offense.

“Wins like this are nice because they’re team wins,” Burke said. “We’ve been preaching four quarters all year long, and that was as good of a job from start to finish as we’ve had, I think, since I’ve been here.”

“I think guys are starting to find their roles,” said Burke. “Guys are settling into leadership roles, and scoring roles. Curtis Knapton is doing a great job keeping us together, and then obviously the guys that are in the paper scoring points: Blake’s shooting the ball well, Derek and Sean are banging around on the inside. On any given night, it just depends on who’s got the ball in their hands and whether we’re willing to play that team offense.”

Bonny Eagle’s Malloy had 13, the game high, and Dubiel had nine. But, while several of their teammates contributed, including Nick Dubay with six, the squad simply couldn’t generate enough to emerge the victors.

Westbrook hosted a tough Deering team on Tuesday the 23rd, and travels to Massabesic on the 30th. Bonny Eagle welcomes South Portland on the 23rd, and then Marshwood on the 27th.

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Westbrooker Bailey Ryan gets air over Bonny Eagle defender Ben Malloy.Curtis Knapton looks to pass on the attack for the Blazes.Moses Abwoch bounds upcourt with the ball against visiting Bonny Eagle Friday night. Abwoch had 10 in the Blazes’ victory.Nick Dubay releases a jumper for Bonny Eagle in Westbrook Friday night; Anderson Kavutse defends for the Blazes.Ben Malloy drives for the basket in Westbrook Friday night.Bonny Eagle’s Dylan Ricci cuts back from a defender.Westbrook’s Sean Jany and Bonny Eagle’s Matt Smith (center) and Ben Autry collide beneath the basket Friday night.