FABRIZIO GOWDY | DECEMBER 2, 2020 | SPORTS

Stanton boys basketball is still in search of its first win of the season after suffering a 56-41 loss at home Tuesday at the hands of the Englewood High School Rams.

The first quarter was frustrating for the Blue Devils, who fell behind 8-0 in the opening two minutes. The Rams used a full court press to disrupt the Stanton offense and force turnovers. The Blue Devils found themselves with a 10-point deficit heading into the second.

Stanton initially appeared to pick up some momentum early in the quarter, quickly cutting the deficit to six in their first two possessions. But following a timeout, Englewood regrouped and went on a 15-2 run, blowing the game wide open. Stanton mustered just a single point in the final 5:30 of the half, and trailed by 18 at the break.

The third quarter was relatively uneventful and more even, but the Rams ultimately extended their lead to 20 and got eight minutes closer to their seemingly secure win. But if the Rams thought they were going to cruise to finish, they were mistaken. Stanton came alive in the fourth quarter, implementing a successful full court press of their own and going on an 11-1 run. Seniors Tyler Pottenburgh and Ro Vemuri each hit a three, and with four minutes left, the Blue Devils were within 10 of the Rams.

But the comeback proved to be too little too late, running out of steam as the Rams broke through the Blue Devil press. A late, controversial jump ball call on a heavily contested shot by senior Stanton forward Thomas McLaughlin shifted the momentum. Stanton head coach Rob Burnett was given a technical foul for arguing the play should have resulted in Stanton free throws. From there, Englewood hit both free throws resulting from the technical and held on for a comfortable 15-point win.

Englewood gets its first win of the season, improving to 1-3. Stanton falls to 0-2 and will travel to Christ’s Church Academy Wednesday to play the Eagles.

ENGLEWOOD KEEPS STANTON WINLESS