BUCKFIELD — With new gear before Friday night’s game, Buckfield was ready to hit the court in style.

The Bucks defeated Rangeley 77-32 in an East-West Conference boys basketball game.

“We were all really hyped for this game,” Buckfield sophomore Gaven Parsons said. “I was here a little early, and I got warmed up for it. We got our warmup jerseys, so that was pretty (cool).”

Parsons had 18 points in the game, which was only behind freshman Krosby Harvey, who led the way with 20 points. Justin Lucas had 14 points and Brayden Monto finished with 13 points.

Parsons said the Bucks (2-1) are doing well early on because they have some built-in chemistry with each other.

“We all love to play basketball. I think we all play pretty well, I think,” Parsons said. “We can get better.”

Rangeley’s turnovers made it a half-court game at the beginning of the first quarter. The Bucks turned the turnovers into points and started the contest with an 11-0 run. Monto had three points in that run and Gaven Parsons had four points.

Buckfield coach Jon Cadman said getting points from turnovers is how his team will score this season.

“Transition, that’s what we have been kind of practicing all week,” Cadman said. “We know we aren’t a half-court, offensive team. A lot of our points will be from our defense, just getting the guys to turn the ball over.”

Rangeley (0-3) coach Jeff LaRochelle said he prepared for Buckfield’s defense during the week, but it just snowballed on the Lakers quickly.

“The kids didn’t get mad at each other, they tried to sort it out together,” LaRochelle said. “When water is coming through the dam, it’s like, hang on. … I said, ‘Let’s try our 12 (defense),’ and we started to get the turnovers. I said, ‘See what you guys can do.'”

Brayden Thompson got the Lakers on the board with a free throw midway through the opening quarter.

Parsons led Buckfield with eight points as the Bucks built a 21-1 lead in the quarter until a two-point basket and a trey from Sam Morrill had Rangeley on a 5-0 run to end the period and the Bucks led 23-6 after one.

LaRochelle said the Lakers need to keep the opposition to no more than a dozen points in a quarter.

“That has to be 12, 10, sometimes eight,” LaRochelle said. “It’s like OK, don’t look at it as taking it all on the next possession, you have to keep working, chip it away. When you get in a hole like that early, there’s still a lot of basketball left, but you have to change the way you play.”

It was an even start to the second quarter, with both teams trading baskets. However, the Lakers couldn’t make any headway and with the Bucks leading 29-14, Harvey started an 11-0 run to end the quarter. He had four points during the run and Monto finished with five, including a 3 for the final basket of the half.

Cadman stated Harvey has a bright future.

“Krosby, he’s one heck of a player, he’s young, and he has a lot to learn, but he’s a gamer, he competes on both ends of the floor,” Cadman said.

After only scoring two points in the second quarter, Parsons warmed up with a team-high six points in the third quarter.

“Gaven, he’s coming out of his shell,” Cadman said. “He was timid last year, but now, we are really focusing on him down low and getting things going for us.”

Six different Buckfield players scored in the third as the Bucks took a 65-27 advantage into the fourth.

Morrill and Brayden Thompson each had four points for the Lakers in the third.

Morrill had three of the five Rangeley points scored in the fourth to finish with 14. Thompson had 10 for the contest.

Buckfield scored 21 points in the fourth by spreading around the ball, with seven players recording at least two points.

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