READFIELD — For the Leavitt Hornets, a little intensity went a long way Tuesday night.

In the first eight minutes of their boys’ basketball game against the Maranacook Black Bears, the Hornets used a pressure defense and quick-strike offense to score 15 unanswered points on their way to a 59-46 victory.

The Hornets (4-0) led by 14 points after the first quarter and never saw their lead dip below seven. Jordan Hersom carried the Hornets over the long haul with 25 points while hauling down 10 rebounds, but it was their first-quarter play that set the tone.

“I think we did it with our press,” Leavitt coach Mike Hathaway said. “We talked at practice about coming out and playing with intensity. We did a great job with transition and we got some easy looks.”

Trailing 5-4 early in the opening quarter, Hersom converted a feed from Lucas Witham which gave the Hornets the lead for good. Moments later, Witham drained a 3-pointer from just beyond the arc. An offensive rebound and put-back by Hersom followed by a Tim Dow drive put the visitors up 13-5 and kept the up-tempo assault going.

While the offense scored quickly, the Hornets’ defensive pressure forced the Black Bears (3-1) away from the basket.

“We did a good job of ball pressure,” said Hathaway. “We forced the ball to the sideline.”

After opening the game matching up man-to-man, Maranacook switched to a zone defense and alternated throughout the game.

“We’re just not ready to match up with them man-to-man,” said Maranacook coach Rob Schmidt. “Position by position, they’re too much for us.”

One player the home team couldn’t match up with was Hersom. The junior forward was 11-of-12 from the field. Against man coverage, Hersom easily beat the man guarding him off the dribble.

“They put him in the high post a lot,” Schmidt said. “We tried to play behind him but he’s got such a quick spin move.”

When Maranacook switched to a 3-2 zone, Hersom continued to find an open seam to the basket, and his teammates found him.

“I have to give all the credit to my teammates for getting me the ball,” said Hersom. “That’s half the work.”

Early in the third quarter, Tyler Allen found Hersom open on the baseline for an easy score. A few minutes later, Hersom tipped in an offensive rebound and the Hornets led 40-29. Later in the quarter, Tyler Walton hit Hersom in the low post area for a conventional 3-point play.

“Being patient of offense is a big thing for us,” Hersom added. “We just have to make the defense work by passing it around and getting a good shot.”

Witham finished with nine points while Dow chipped in with eight.

Maranacook has struggled shooting the ball all season, but did have its moments. Point guard Jack Kennedy scored 18, many of them on drives to the hoop. Power forward Harry Lanphear knocked down a pair of treys and finished with nine points.