WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. --The Monument Mountain boys basketball team Tuesday ran out to a huge lead and never looked back.
And running was a big part of the story in the Spartans' 71-45 win at Mount Greylock.
"When we run, we're so much better," Monument Mountain coach Randy Koldys said. "We're not a great half-court offensive team yet. We need to get better executing in the half-court, and we will.
"But right now, when we run and we finish, we're pretty good."
Monument Mountain (5-2) took control of the game with a 15-0 run in the first quarter.
Khalil Carlson (nine points, 11 rebounds) got things started with a bucket in the post to give the Spartans a 7-2 lead. And the spurt ended four minutes later when Kenzel Chandler-Ellerbe's steal led to a transition bucket by Connor Hanavan.
Hanavan tied for team-high scoring honors with 13 points, joining Kieran Santos and Caden Gidarakos. Kyle Wellenkamp and Carlson each scored nine.
"I like that when it's balanced scoring," Koldys said. "I like having a team that shares the ball as much as we do. I think sometimes we can share the ball better than we do, but I was really happy tonight with getting a balanced scoring effort."
After Mount Greylock's Chase Doyle (17 points, 14 rebounds) ended the 15-0 run, Monument Mountain scored five more points to take a 25-4 lead into the second quarter.
That period saw the Spartans struggle to find the mark offensively, and Mount Greylock took advantage with an 11-0 run of its own to getwithin 10 points when Henry Art scored with an assist from Jackson Powell late in the half to make it 27-17.
But the Spartans dominated again in the third quarter, needing 4 minutes, 22 seconds to turn a 13-point half-time lead into a 21-point cushion when Hananvan scored on a fastbreak to make it 42-21.
Monument stretched its lead to 31 points midway through the fourth quarter before the Mounties got 3-pointers from Doyle and Nicholas Markovic down the stretch to get the final margin down to 26.
"I'm pretty pleased with how they came out compared to last time we came up here," Koldys said, referring to a Saturday matinee that required a Spartan comeback for a 48-40 win. "But then we said, 'OK, 25-4, let's just take it easy.'
"But Greylock is not going to roll over. I don't care what their record is, it's their home court, they're going to play hard, and that's what it comes down to right there."
Monument Mountain is home against Lee on Thursday.
Mount Greylock (0-9) hosts Mount Everett on Friday.
