Bellefontaine took advantage of a mismatch inside with senior post player Hunter Warner on Tuesday to get its first win of the season.
Warner scored a game-high 24 points as the host Chiefs bounced Northwestern 57-45 in a Central Buckeye Conference crossover basketball game.
The Chiefs are now 1-7, while the Warriors fall to 0-6.
“It’s a relief to get that first win out of the way,” said Bellefontaine head coach Henry Stolly. “When you haven’t won, you start pressing a little bit and I think that was happening with our guys. Now, we can relax a little and continue to move forward.”
The 57 points were a season best for the Chiefs.
“I thought our three guards, Nolan Smith, Jarrid Baughman and Kam Smith, did a great job of being patient and making the extra pass to get a better shot,” said Stolly. “They did a good job of feeding Hunter inside and he did a good job of finishing in there.”
Bellefontaine has been hampered by inconsistent play this season, but was able to string four solid quarters together Tuesday.
“Overall, it was a good, complete effort,” said Stolly. “We had a little bit of a lull at the end of the first half, but the guys came out and played well at the start of the third quarter and that carried through to the rest of the game.”
Bellefontaine led 11-8 after the first quarter and held a seven-point cushion (27-20) at halftime.
The Chiefs outscored the Warriors 13-4 in the third period to open up a 16-point cushion (40-24).
Bellefontaine kept the lead in double digits during the final stanza.
Warner received help from Baughman with eight points and Kam Smith, Jaeden Campbell and Jack Hutchins with six points apiece. Nolan Smith chipped in five points.
“This is a game we need to build off of,” said Stolly. “Especially in a season like this, you don’t always know when your next game is going to be, so you have to take advantage of a performance like this and work to keep getting better.”
Nick Morton led the Warriors with 15 points.
There was no junior varsity game Tuesday.
In the freshman game, Bellefontaine won 39-27. Kailyn Organ scored 13 points and Harper Scott had 12 to lead the Chiefs.
Bellefontaine returns to action Friday at Springfield Shawnee.
BELLEFONTAINE 57 NORTHWESTERN 45
NORTHWESTERN (0-6)
Impson 1 0-0 3; Morton 6 2-2 15; Burton 2 0-2 5; Embry 2 0-0 5; Dennis 5 1-2 13; Burns 2 0-0 4. Totals: 18 3-6 45.
BELLEFONTAINE (1-7)
K. Smith 2 2-2 6; Campbell 2 2-2 6; N. Smith 2 0-0 5; Hardy 0 1-2 1; Hutchins 3 0-0 6; Snapp 0 1-2 1; Baughman 3 0-0 8; Warner 11 2-4 24.
Totals: 23 8-12 57.
Warriors. 8 12 4 21 — 45
Chiefs. 11 16 13 17 — 57
Three pointers: Northwestern 6 (Dennis 2, Impson, Morton, Burton, Embry); Bellefontaine 3 (Baughman 2, N. Smith).
Team fouls: Northwestern 10; Bellefontaine 8.