Williamsburg Christian brought a solid basketball team to Blessed Sacrament Huguenot Monday night. The 11-7 Eagles athletic pivot man, Manny Hill, victimized the Knights for 26 points and their reed-thin guard, Will Mausteller, bombed in 16 more in their 53-42 win over BSH.

The 2-11 Knights unveiled a previously hidden long-range offense, canning six three-pointers.

“We probably haven’t made eight threes all season long,” stated coach Andy Janto. Sophomore Connor Paul led the Knights with 13 points including half of the three-point shots. But it was what the Knights didn’t do and couldn’t find late in the game that allowed this one to get away.

The Eagles controlled the first quarter until freshman Trevor Gilliam launched a three-pointer from the top of the key and Paul followed with his first from the corner as the buzzer sounded for a 13-all score. Gilliam’s steal led to Paul’s lay up for the first BSH lead at 16-15. The Eagles took the lead back on Hill’s short jumper before Paul recaptured it with another corner three. Hill’s free throws (the Knights were 1-7 from the line in the first half) forced a tie at 19, but Thomas Young’s aggressive follow put BSH back in front.

The Knights played an aggressive, stingy defense out of their 2-3 zone and held Williamsburg Christian to three free throws for the remainder of the first half. Unfortunately, the Knights couldn’t score. They played the final three minutes with only one shot attempt and trailed at the half 22-21.

Bryan Alexander, who had 10 points on the night, drove the base line and threw in an off-balance shot to start the second half and give the lead back to BSH. Point guard Will Perkins powered down the lane and Hill was left unguarded under the rim for a 26-23 WC lead. Kendall Trainum (seven points) found Paul’s sweet spot in the left corner and tied it with a soft three-pointer of his own. Trainum followed that with a steal and run out to put the Knights back in front 28-26. They would not lead again and subsequently went on a scoring drought, this time for over four minutes, while Mausteller and Hill were pulling the Eagles out to a 36-29 lead.

Austin Wingfield (eight points) took advantage of the Eagles man to man defense for the first time and drove the lane to score twice to start the final quarter. A Mausteller three ran the lead back to six. Russ Leboff’s steal got Wingfield two more and Alexander dropped in two free throws at 37-39. Hill answered with a power move and a full court run out, but Wingfield’s stop and pop and another circus shot from Alexander got BSH back to within two at 41-43 with 2:40 left.

The Eagles, aided by a technical foul, scored nine points to close out the game, the Knights only two on a Trainum follow. Leboff pulled down 14 rebounds, but did not score.

“I’m very disappointed,” said Janto.

“I thought we had a chance, but we just don’t score enough points. We’re the kind of team that can’t squander opportunities and we just can’t find that leadership, that go-to guy we need late in these games.”