Bruins pull away from Weir High
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WEIRTON -- After an up-and-down start to the season during which it dealt with injuries and adversity, the Brooke boys basketball team got a glimpse of what its potential is when at full strength and firing on all cylinders Friday night.
After being deadlocked in a tie at the end of the first quarter, the Bruins went on a late second quarter run to pull ahead and did not look back on the way to a 69-46 win on the road at rival Weir High.
"We were very excited coming into this season … we delth with some injuries and we're finally playing healthy for the first time," Brooke head coach Adam Shinsky said. "This is a hard place to play, it's great rivalry and a great atmosphere.
"Weir was still playing hard, going to the hole down 20. Anthony (Santangelo) does a great job."
Leyton Toepfer led all scorers with 29 points, while Nate Kimball added 15, Garrett Milam added 12 to put three Bruins in double figures and Peyton Toepfer contributed nine points.
The Bruins 69 points were their most in their last five games.
"We worked on our shooting," Shinsky said. "We got back to running the floor and getting the open looks (Friday). We had been getting away from that. That's our style that we want to play.
"We want to get up and down the floor and run and gun and that's what we did (Friday)."
As good as the offense was, the defense held the Red Riders under 50 points for just the third time this season and it was the second lowest total the Bruins have surrendered.
That was large in part to Weir senior standout Colin "G" Cross being held to just three points (he did not play the fourth quarter).
Weir (2-6) was led by Dashawd Smith's 15 tallies.
"We've got to figure out who we're going to be, who wants to go out and compete," Weir High head coach Anthony Santangelo said. "We're going to figure that out starting (Saturday).
"Props to Brooke, they put it on us. They keyed on G some, but we just weren't very good (Friday)."
After the game was deadlocked 8-8 after one, the Bruins closed the second quarter strong to lead by 10 at the half, 33-23.
After the teams traded early buckets in the third quarter, the Bruins went on 1 22-6 run to take complete control, scoring 27 in the third to lead by 24 going to the fourth quarter.
The victory moved Brooke back to .500 at 4-4.
Brooke was also victorious in the JV game, 51-49.
UP NEXT
Brooke: Returns hom on Thursday to host Edison.
Weir High: Was slated to play Avelia at Burgettstown's Chuck Mahoney Classic on Saturday before heading to Linlsy on Tuesday.