For a short time Monday night, the Arts & Sciences boys' basketball team trailed visiting Grace Academy. Two minutes, to be exact.
That's when the Patriots cranked up the defensive pressure, forcing 12 turnovers that led to 16 consecutive points in the first quarter as they went on to dominate the Golden Eagles 52-22.
"Our goal is for our defense to ignite everything," Patriots coach Mark Dragoo said. "We had a good effort, I thought, especially in the first half."
That ignition came after Cahlib Edwards hit a 3-pointer to give the Patriots (2-0) a 3-2 lead. The basket allowed them to set up their full-court press, which sparked the offensive production led by Edwards, who scored nine of his game-high 22 points in the opening period.
"We're not that big, so we try to use our quickness to our advantage," Edwards said. "When we trust each other, work hard and play together, we can usually come out with a win like we did tonight."
While Grace (0-3) was able to overcome the Patriots' pressure a little better in the second quarter, the Patriots exploited holes in the Golden Eagles' zone defense and got the ball inside to post Troy Pride, who scored six in the period as Arts & Sciences built a 23-point halftime lead.
Said Dragoo: "Grace usually muddies it up for us (with their zone defense) and we play like they play, and I'm just glad we didn't do that tonight. I think Troy Pride did a good job on the boards and inside for us."
The second half belonged to Cahlib and Hollis Edwards, as the two scored 18 of the team's 20 points, with Hollis Edwards finishing with 14 points for the game. The duo hit all five of the Patriots' 3-pointers.
Grace was led by Nick Billingsley with 10 points. The Eagles have played as many games (3) as they have had practices with the football team playing into the postseason.
"We're just looking at different stuff and different players right now," Grace coach Jon Mattheiss said. "We almost have to look at it like a preseason scrimmage. We're just playing a little slow right now. We just have to be patient and not get overly excited about a loss like this. When everything comes together, I think we'll be just fine."
Contact Kevin Llewallyn at sports@timesfreepress.com.