Middleton, Fla. — Welcome home, Buffalo. 

The Villages High School boys basketball team dazzled its way to a 79-30 victory in its first game on the new Middleton campus, rolling Bell Creek Academy (Riverview) on Thursday night before a near-capacity crowd inside the VHS gymnasium.

The Buffalo (3-3 overall) rocked the visiting Panthers (4-3) with a 50-point first half — which included a 27-0 run in the first quarter — en route to a dominant first win in their new digs.

"We defended, we rebounded and we took care of the ball," said VHS head coach Colt McDowell. "We scored, too, and that was like icing on the cake. But then our crowd and the energy in this new gym, that was just the cherry on top." 

The home opener also featured the season openers for sophomores Brisun Hammermeister (11 points) and Kymani Weathers (2 points, 3 blocks), as the pair each returned from injuries that sidelined them until tipoff on Thursday. 

"It was absolutely electric and way better than I could've ever imagined," said Hammermeister, who transferred to The Villages from Canterbury School in Fort Myers. "It's a big boost to us that we're all back, we're all healthy and we feel like we're 15 (players) deep."

VHS showed its depth early in the first quarter, as the starting unit shrugged off an opening 3-pointer by Bell Creek to take a 16-3 lead in a little over four minutes. That's when McDowell went to his second unit, including Hammermeister, who hit a pair of treys to help the Buffalo eventually take a 27-3 advantage through a quarter of play. 

"I thought Chris (Washington Jr.) was phenomenal in that first quarter," McDowell said of his sophomore forward, who tallied 11 of his team-high 16 points in the opening period. "We followed him and his energy, and then Brisun (Hammermeister) and Kymani (Weathers) getting back out there really gave us a boost."

Another transfer, freshman guard Aaron Britt Jr. from Jacksonville, gave the Buffalo a shot in the arm in the second quarter, scoring eight points in the period. Along with a slew of turnovers forced with an aggressive full-court defense, the Buffalo ran out to a 50-17 lead at the half.

A Hammermeister 3-pointer with 7:07 left in the third quarter initiated a mandated running clock the rest of the way, as McDowell began to empty his bench and find even more production there. Ethan Bevis and Nick D'Alessandro, each playing their first varsity seasons after two stellar junior-varsity campaigns for the Buffalo, both hit a pair of 3-pointers late. 

This was the second consecutive 49-point win for VHS, who toppled Mount Dora by a final score of 72-23 on Tuesday night to open Class 4A-District 6 play.

The Buffalo will now look ahead to a primetime matchup against a fellow reigning state finalist from a year ago, as they travel to Windermere to take on host Windermere Prep in the Orlando Health Hoopfest at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. 

"I think we've shown that we can replicate how we want to play," said Buffalo senior guard Ben Koubek. "Now, we need to do it at a higher level against high-level teams, and we've got one coming up Saturday with Windermere Prep."


Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment at cody.hills@tvcs.org or by calling (352) 259-6890.