Middleton, Fla. – The Villages High School boys basketball team used a solid second-half effort to shrug off a sluggish start en route to a home win Monday afternoon in Middleton.

The Buffalo turned up the heat defensively over the final two quarters to turn away Raines (Jacksonville) from an upset bid, as The Villages held on for a 60-51 victory inside the VHS Gymnasium.

Ethan Bevis led the way with 19 points and Cam Lee (13 points) provided a spark as part of a new-look starting lineup for The Villages, who improved to 11-4 overall this season with the win.

"I thought (Lee) was awesome with his energy both in the start and then later coming off the bench," said VHS head coach Colt McDowell. "He seemed to have a lot of fun out there and that's what it's all about. Guys like him, Ethan Bevis and Brady Hunt all worked really hard and served each other with a purpose. They put the team in front of themselves and that's what we really needed today."

The team-first approach was required after the visiting Vikings (7-6) took the fight to the Buffalo early, as they led 24-23 at the half. VHS wasn't able to force Raines into many turnovers – causing just two in the first half – and the Buffalo shot just 36% (9-of-25) from the floor.

"We started off really slow in the first half," the freshman guard Lee said. "We weren't doing a good job talking and communicating, and we were making too many mistakes. I felt like (the team) needed a little energy and I just tried to give that."

Lee's effort early in the third quarter included a pair of steals and a 3-point make, while also finding his teammates within the natural flow of the Buffalo offense numerous times in a period in which VHS outscored Raines, 24-13. Lee also disrupted the presence of Raines point guard Gilles Marier, forcing the opposition into two throwaways with stifling on-ball defense.

"I'm a defense first guy," Lee said. "I love playing defense before playing any type of offense. I'd rather not score and have 10 steals if that's possible, and I just felt like we really needed that burst of effort on defense."

VHS was also much more efficient in the third quarter on offense, making 10-of-16 shots from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers.

The Buffalo maintained their advantage throughout the majority of fourth and final period, keeping Raines down by double digits largely until the game's final possessions.

Aaron Britt, Jr. and Jomar Bernard each had seven points in reserve duty Monday, coming off the bench in place of three new starters in Lee, Hunt and Miles Simpson.

McDowell said the alternating rotation could continue into the weeks ahead, as VHS gets set to embark on a treacherous three-game road swing at nationally ranked Montverde (Friday), Olympia (Jan. 13) and Oak Ridge (Jan. 15).

"We've got to have really good practices going forward," McDowell said. "There's going to be open competition from game-to-game right now for the starting five and those first three rotation spots off the bench. We've got so many guys who can play and a few of our (guys) have got a little too comfortable not doing the things they need to do in terms of playing hard, playing selfless and playing relentlessly. We're going to need the guys who earn it to step on the floor against the level of competition we're going to see over the next three games."


Cody Hills can be reached for questions or comment via email at cody.hills@tvcs.org.