CALCUTTA — Senior Cole Bowers came to the rescue of the Big Red boys’ basketball team early on before the Red-and-Black ripped off one of its patented runs in the second quarter to pull away from Beaver Local.

The Beavers led 21-19 with four minutes left to play in the first half, however, Big Red tallied the next 21 points to go up by 19 on the way to a 75-58 victory Tuesday night on the road.

“At first, it seemed like we were moving slow at the beginning,” Big Red (14-1) head coach Mike Haney said. “Our rotations were not as good as they should be. Once we got a steal, it seemed like we got one after another, and we started to hit some shots. It seems like once our defense picks up, our offense is much better. We got some steals, and we were able to hit some shots. We started playing fast, and our rotations got better.”

The spurt turned a two-point deficit into a 40-21 advantage with 1:12 remaining to be played in the second. The visitors led 42-23 at halftime.

Bowers scored Big Red’s first 11 points of the game as the score was knotted at 15 at the end of the first. Bowers ended the game with 16.

“He was the only one who could hit a shot in the first,” Haney said. “He scored 11, and the score was tied at 15-all at the end of the first quarter. He scored our first 11. He definitely was playing the best in the first quarter. He carried us in that first quarter.

Big Red led by as many as 20 points three times in the second half. The boys in white cut their deficit down to 12 (67-55) in the fourth, however, the victors extended their advantage back up to 18 before winning the game by 17. For a good bit of the second half, the two teams traded baskets.

“That is what we told the team after the game,” Haney said. “We were sluggish in the first quarter, and we played a great second quarter. After that, we started trading baskets. We went up by 20, and then they got it down to 14. We scored, and they would come back and score an easy basket. We told the guys you cannot do that.”

The boys in black led 59-41 going into the fourth.

Beaver Local (13-4) led by as many as five (13-8) in the first.

Standout Santino Haney netted a game-high 19 points to lead the way offensively for Big Red, Jermaine Moore joined Bowers with 16 and Tre’von Wiggins contributed 15.

“We were pretty balanced,” Coach Haney said. “At different times, we had different guys hit shots. Cole got us going in the first. Wiggins hit some big shots in the second quarter. He took his time and made some things happen.”

Luke Rettos collected a team-high 16 points to lead the way for the Red-and-White, Matt Anderson and Peyton Cowdrey each delivered nine points and Nick McKenzie chipped in with eight.

The boys from Jefferson County have won nine straight games.

“We have been playing team basketball,” Coach Haney said. “Everyone finds the open guy to hit shots. Defensively, we have played much better in the past games. We have been unselfish. We share the basketball. A guy may have a chance for a good shot, but he passes the ball to someone for an even better shot.”

The boys from Columbiana County have lost two straight games for the first time this season. The Beavers played the game without senior standout Owen Hill.

“Not having him was a big loss for them,” Coach Haney said. “I talked to him before and after the game. They are hoping to have him back Tuesday. He is one of the top players in all of the OVAC. They were 13-3 coming into the game. They are a good team, and he exemplifies that with his size. He can shoot the 3. He can score inside and outside.”

Bowers grabbed a team-high nine rebounds for Big Red, while Santino Haney and Moore each pulled down seven as Big Red won the rebounding battled 37-29.

Rettos snagged a game-high 10 rebounds for the hosts.

“Coach (Nick) Miller does a great job,” Coach Haney said. “We knew they were going to come out and play tough and physical. They played man and zone. Without Hill, they probably played a little more zone. They did what we saw them do on film and when we scouted them. They did what we expected.”

Big Red is scheduled to play Dover Tuesday night at home. The JV game is set to start at 5:30 p.m. with the varsity game to follow around 6:45.

“We definitely have had some battles with them,” Coach Haney said. “It will probably be the same thing Tuesday. Coach Von Kaenel does a great job. Matt takes a lot of things from his father. They do a great job on offense. They use a lot of picks. They use a lot of back cuts. They do a lot of back doors. We are going to have to be ready.”

Beaver Local is slated to play Columbiana County rival Salem Tuesday night at home. The JV game will start at 5:30 with the varsity game to follow around 7 p.m.

Big Red 75, Beaver Local 58

Big Red 15 27 17 16 – 75

Beaver Local 15 8 18 17 – 58

BIG RED (14-1): Wigging 6 1-2 15, Haney 7 4-6 19, Moore 7 0-0 16, Edwards 2 0-0 5, C. Bowers 6 1-2 16, L. Bowers 1 0-0 2, Adams 0 0-0 0, Luke 0 0-0 0, Burkhart 0 0-0 0, Rea 1 0-2 2, Kokiko 0 0-0 0, Nocera 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 30 6-12 75.

BEAVER LOCAL (13-4): McKensie 3 0-0 8, Dray 4 0-2 9, T. McElroy 2 0-2 4, Johnson 1 0-0 3, Anderson 3 3-3 9, Rettos 8 0-0 16, Cowdrey 4 0-1 9. TOTALS: 25 3-8 58.

3-POINTERS: Big Red 9 (C. Bowers 3, Wiggins 2, Moore 2, Haney, Edwards); Beaver Local 5 (McKenzie 2, Dray, Johnson, Cowdrey)