Blue Devils alone at top

The 2002 Junior Basketball League is just two weeks old, but already,

the Blue Devils have taken over sole possession of first place.

They did so last weekend by beating the Lakers, 68-56, as they

outscored their foe, 15-4, in the fourth quarter.

Up until that point, the tight ballgame saw the Blue Devils lead only

29-26 at the half, and clinging to a 53-52 edge heading into the final

quarter of play.

Brendan Finnerty hit a season-high 29 points including 11 of 15 free

throws, and center Spencer Harrell added 21 points.

The Lakers’ Matthew Renault led all scorers with 31 points and Travis

Grogan contributed 21.

The Lakers are now 1-1.

In other games:

Clippers 71, Rainbows 39

Cheyne Martin, the league’s leading scorer at 35.5 points per game,

nearly matched that average with a 34-point effort as the Clippers evened

their record at 1-1.

Other top Clipper scorers included Jonathan Begay with 12 points,

Brandon David with eight and Nathan Pickett with seven.

The Rainbows (1-1) guard tandem of Ian Butters and Jeff Clark scored

16 and 15 points, respectively, but where held 18 points below their

combined season average.

The Clippers were in command by halftime, 42-16.

Bruins 69, Trailblazers 60

Garrett Preston scored a season-best 31 points and Christopher Hyden

added 21 points, nine of those coming on three, three-point baskets, as

the Bruins got their initial win of the season.

The Bruins won despite a standout effort by Trailblazers center Brian

Delino, who scored 37 points.

The teams were tied at the half, 28-28.

The Trailblazers are now 0-2.

Saturday’s game schedule features the Lakers and Bruins playing at 8

a.m., followed by the Trailblazers-Clippers at 9:15 a.m., and the Blue

Devils-Rainbows at 10:30 a.m.