BROOKLYN – It was a match of team quickness in the first half and BGM stayed close to Montezuma.
But after halftime, unbeaten Montezuma found another gear.
The Braves, leading just 30-27 after 16 minutes, sped away to a 73-52 victory Friday evening, Dec. 13.
The Bears couldn’t stay in front of Montezuma scoring ace Trey Shearer, who poured in 41 points on 15-for-21 shooting from the field, and eight-for-10 from the line. Trey was three-for-five on three-pointers.
Montezuma took its early-season record to 4-0, while the Bears are a dangerous 2-2 team.
A statistic that jumps out: Just six personal fouls against Montezuma. BGM was called for 16. Montezuma made four more baskets, but 13 more free throws.
The Braves outscored BGM 43-25 in the second half.
Cole Watts scored 14 points for the Braves, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out four assists.
Post forward Eddie Burgess scored eight points, but ruled he boards with 14 caroms as Montezuma had a 33-27 edge in this category.
The Braves shot .500 from the field on 26-for-52.
BGM shot 22-for-61, for .361, but was just seven-for-31 (.226) from behind the three-point arc.
Masin Shearer scored seven Montezuma points and tied with brother Trey for the team lead in steals at three.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 17 13 25 18 – 73
BGM 17 10 16 9 – 52
MONTEZUMA (73): Brayden Arendt 0-4, 0-0, 1, 0. Masin Shearer 3-5, 1-2, 1, 7. Cole Watts 4-15, 5-5, 2, 14. Trey Shearer 15-21, 8-10, 2, 41. Brody Chidester 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Owen Cook 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Eddie Burgess 4-7, 0-0, 0, 8. Joey Kercheval 0-0, 0-0, 0,0. TOTALS: 26-52, 14-17, 6, 73.
BGM (52)
TOTALS: 22-61, 1-1, 16, 52.
Line score legend: Field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attemped, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: Montezuma 10, BGM 14.
Rebounds: Montezuma 33 (Burgess 14, Watts 8, Arendt 6): BGM 27.
Three-point goals: Montezuma 4-17 (T. Shearer 3, Watts 1); BGM 7-31.
Braves assists leaders: Watts 4, Arendt 3, T. Shearer 3, M. Shearer 2.
Braves steals leaders: M. Shearer 3, T. Shearer 3, Arendt 1, Watts 1, Burgess 1.
Braves deflections leaders: Arendt 2, T. Shearer 1.
Braves blocks: Burgess 3.