AUGUSTA — Cony’s all-out, frenzied brand of basketball has produced sporadic results so far this season.

Tuesday night, the Rams stuck to the game plan and turned in a disciplined effort in posting their most important win to date, a 59-55 decision over previously unbeaten Hampden.

At the halfway point in the regular season, Cony stands at 4-5 in Class A North play while Hampden fell to 8-1.

The Rams erased a nine-point deficit in the third period as they converted six 3-pointers in a 24-point quarter that found them leading 49-41 at the break. They made 10 of their 23 three-point attempts for the game, led by Jake Dacus with three and Jordan Roddy and Austin Parlin with two apiece.

The win was truly a team effort. Cony coach T.J. Maines played all 12 of his players in the first four minutes of the game subbing five at a time in one-minute shifts.

“It’s a big game,” said Roddy, who scored a team-high 12 points. “It’s going to be worth a lot for us later, but it’s worth a lot for us now, too, because we were kind of in a slump.”

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The teams traded baskets in the first two periods with the Broncos taking a 26-23 lead when 6-foot-5 junior Ian McIntyre (20 points) put down a two-handed dunk. Hampden scored the first two baskets of the second half to take the lead, but the Rams responded with a trio of 3s, beginning with one by Dacus from the top of the circle and one each from Parlin and Roddy to tie the score at 36.

“That was a big shot, early third quarter,” Maines said of the 3 by Dacus. “That’s the point where it can go the other way. That was the best ball movement we’ve had. It didn’t stick on one guy’s hands and rely on one guy to make a play.”

Dacus, Parlin and James Hunt (nine points, 10 rebounds) followed with 3s as the Rams took a 49-41 lead into the fourth quarter. Cony forced 14 turnovers with its full-court pressing style and did a nice job double-teaming McIntyre in the low post. The Broncos were particularly hurt by poor free throw shooting, going just 8 of 19 from the line.

“At halftime we only had six (turnovers),” Hampden coach Russ Bartlett said. “That’s a good half against them. I thought we turned the ball over more in the front court than the back court. If we had just made our free throws, we could have found a way to win that game. But I thought Cony made more than we did down the stretch.”

The Rams led throughout the fourth quarter but the Broncos twice cut the lead to two. Cony responded first with a circus jumper in the lane from 5-foot-1 freshman Simon McCormick (eight points). Roddy did the rest as he went 4 of 4 from the foul line in the final 32 seconds.

“Having all these guys in, it gives them game experience,” Roddy said. “You’re not going to get better by sitting on the bench. All this subbing works out really good. The way we play I can’t play the whole game, It’s hard on me going up and down the court playing full-court pressure.”

Hampden got 12 points from junior John Wolfington and 10 from sophomore Kory Winch.


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