Defense sparks Greenville surge

Connor DiAngelo (right) is among the veteran players who have helped spark the Greenville High School boys basketball team to 10 straight victories.

The Greenville Lakers returned their starting lineup intact this season after winning the Class D South championship last February.

But an 0-2 start hampered by a defense that yielded an average of 62 points in road losses at Piscataquis of Guilford and Forest Hills of Jackman may have fostered questions about how the team would capitalize on its experience this winter.

Any such questions were answered quickly.

Coach Bill Foley’s club has won 10 consecutive games since its slow start to rise to second place in the Class D South standings, and not only have the Lakers avenged both of their losses with home-court wins over PCHS (65-59) and Forest Hills (62-32), they also own a 57-39 home-court victory over regional top seed Valley of Bingham on Jan. 16.

Defense has been the key to Greenville’s resurgence.

The Lakers have allowed just 35.8 points per outing over the last 10 games, with PCHS — 8-3 and ranked fifth in Class C North — the lone team to score more than 41 points against Greenville during that stretch.

Greenville is scheduled to return to action at home against Deer Isle-Stonington on Wednesday night.

Ernie Clark

About Ernie Clark

I'm a veteran sportswriter who has worked with the Bangor Daily News for more than a decade. A four-time Maine Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, my coverage areas range from high school sports to mixed martial arts.