Burris and DiIorio lead Spartans over Vikings

December 3, 2009 12:31 am
Bainbridge Spartans forward Michael Stevenson battles for the ball with North Kitsap Vikings center David Stock during action Wednesday at Bainbridge. The Spartans beat the Vikings 55-42. Visit back here Thursday for a slideshow from the game.
Bainbridge Spartans forward Michael Stevenson battles for the ball with North Kitsap Vikings center David Stock during action Wednesday at Bainbridge. The Spartans beat the Vikings 55-42. Visit back here Thursday for a slideshow from the game.

Bainbridge defeated North Kitsap 55-42 in the team’s final non-conference game Wednesday.

The Spartans (2-0) capitalized on their height advantage over the Vikings (0-1). Seniors Ryan Burris and Will DiIorio, both listed at 6 feet 5 inches, combined for 33 points on 13-for-22 shooting.

“We definitely have some length with Will and Ryan,” head coach Steve Henderson said. “They can cause some problems up top.”

Bolstered by the home crowd, the Spartans jumped to an early 7-2 lead, but the Vikings erased the deficit, and took their only lead when forward Brandyn Winkley sank a pair of free throws to go up 12-11 in the second quarter.

But the lead didn’t last long. Forward John Masla tied the game at 14-14 with a three-point play. Burris, who had seven points in the second quarter, made a lay-in at the buzzer for the 29-20 lead.

Burris and DiIorio dominated the second half, scoring 25 of the team’s 26 points.

“Those guys really carried us,” Henderson said.

Burris opened the third quarter with a three-pointer, and DiIorio followed-up by scoring nine of the Spartans’ next 13 points, six of which were lay-ups off North Kitsap turnovers, giving Bainbridge the 45-27 lead.

“We were able to extend the lead there and that was big for us,” Henderson said. “It’s nice to be able to get easy baskets like that.”

But the Vikings didn’t go away quietly. North Kitsap found success with the three ball early in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to nine. But DiIorio answered with a three-pointer of his own, and found Burris for two lay-ins to seal the win.

“It’s the most important thing – escaping out of there with a victory,” Henderson said. “We got a win.”

Burris and DiIorio finished the night with 19 and 14 points, respectively. DiIorio also added a team-high five assists and seven steals.

Korsak, Bainbridge’s only other player in double-digits, finished with 10 points on five-for-seven shooting.

“That’s the difference with this team,” Henderson said. “We’re a lot deeper this season than last season.”

The game also marked the return of Masla, who sat out last season with a stress fracture.

Winkley led North Kitsap with 14 points.

With their non-conference games complete, the Spartans begin Metro League play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Eastside Catholic. Bainbridge will host top-ranked Rainier Beach in its first Sound Division contest at 8 p.m. Dec. 11.

“It’s nice to get two wins, going into there, getting a lot of the kinks out and getting some of our timing back,” Henderson said. “That’s the thing with our offense, is to make sure we’re getting good timing. We’re trying to get that worked out.”