ROSCOE – After defeating Livingston Manor in their first league matchup, the Roscoe Blue Devils played host to Chapel Field for another big league matchup. After a back and forth first half, the Lions pulled away in the second half in a 56-38 victory.

“They made good adjustments at halftime,” Roscoe Coach Mike Hill said after the game. “We were able to slow down their fastbreak offense, but they have good shooters, and it’s hard to slow them down for an entire game.”

The Blue Devils dug themselves into a hole early, with the Lions jumping out to a 12-4 lead in the early minutes of the game. The transition offense for Chapel Field gave Roscoe a lot of early trouble, and by the end of the first quarter, Roscoe trailed 18-10.

In the second quarter, the Blue Devils clawed all the way back, taking their first lead of the game just before the half. Trailing 21-20 with time winding down, Chapel Field rattled in a 3-pointer to retake the lead, but a buzzer beater by Roscoe tied it at 23 at the break.

Both teams retreated to the locker rooms to discuss the first half, and what adjustments were needed for the final two quarters. For the first five minutes of the third quarter, the two teams exchanged buckets and the lead shifted seven times. 

Chapel Field called a timeout with three minutes left in the third quarter, and must have figured something out as they ended the quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 37-30 lead.

Roscoe’s scoring drought continued into the fourth quarter, as Chapel Field continued to add to their lead.

By the time the Blue Devils scored their first basket of the fourth quarter, Chapel Field had added another nine points and increased their lead to 16.

With their largest lead of the night, Chapel Field just needed to coast for the remainder of the game. The lions milked the clock, adding a few late buckets to extend the lead and get to the final buzzer.

“We played a really solid first half,” Hill said. “We knew that Jonah [McDuffie] was cold early and that eventually he would turn it up.”

Chapel Field junior Jonah McDuffie scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half, which allowed his teammates more opportunities to score as well.

The Blue Devils will be back in action on December 27 as they participate in the Downsville tournament, where the Blue Devils will look to bounce back from the league loss.