Lebanon's Tommy Berthasavage, left, takes a rebound from Kearsarge's Adrian McCarthy, on floor in back, during the Raiders’ NHIAA Division II boys basketball game with the Cougars on Monday night.
Lebanon's Tommy Berthasavage, left, takes a rebound from Kearsarge's Adrian McCarthy, on floor in back, during the Raiders’ NHIAA Division II boys basketball game with the Cougars on Monday night. Credit: Rick Russell photograph

Lebanon — The recent rupture of a water pipe overhanging a corner of Lebanon High’s Lang Metcalf Gymnasium resulted in a lengthy deluge that has warped the woodwork below and might require its replacement in the not-too-distant future.

Monday night, however, it was the Kearsarge boys basketball team that was swept away, with the Cougars stumbling early during a 66-49 NHIAA Division II loss. Lebanon led, 23-13, after a quarter, 43-22 at halftime and improved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in division play. Kearsarge, which narrowly won the teams’ previous meeting on the season’s opening night, fell to 3-4 in the division.

“We haven’t had any rhythm shooting the ball this season, but hopefully we’re getting better,” interim Lebanon coach Dave Faucher said. “We played with confidence tonight and took the shots that were there.”

Sometimes that meant 3-point shots by forward Wade Rainey and guard Hunter Bienvenu, who each nailed a pair of treys. Mostly, though, it meant hard drives to the hoop and back-door buckets off great passing. Guard Jon Willeman had 23 points and Rainey added 18, all but two during the first half.

Bienvenu and Tommy Berthasavage each had 10 points for the Raiders, who have become smaller but quicker after losing big men Chris Nulty and Matt Eylander to graduation last spring.

“Willeman moves as well off the ball as any kid I’ve ever coached in high school,” said Faucher, formerly the head man at Dartmouth College and Daniel Webster College. “He has a great feel for our concepts.

“And tonight, every 50-50 ball and rebound? They weren’t 50-50 because Wade has a huge heart. He carried us in the first half when they were having trouble stopping him off the dribble.”

It was a frustrating night for Kearsarge coach and Lebanon graduate Nate Camp, who said his team didn’t have the requisite defensive intensity.

“They made shots early, and then we moved out on them and they were able to get by us to the rim,” said Camp, who received 24 points from Noah Tremblay and 20 from Ben Carl. “We threw them out of rhythm the first game, but they had more than one guy hitting shots tonight.”

The game was tied, 7-7, before Lebanon went on a 15-3 run during the first quarter. Willeman, also his school’s starting quarterback and shortstop, accounted for 10 of the hosts’ points during that stretch.

“He cuts hard, especially from the weak side,” said an admiring Camp. “Then you have to come at him with help, but if you do, he finds their spot-up shooters.”

Lebanon hosts Merrimack Valley on Friday. Kearsarge is at Coe-Brown the same night.

Notes: Lebanon continues to play without point guard Logan Falzarano, out with a broken hand. Faucher said a doctor’s visit is upcoming for the junior, and it will hopefully bring good news on the player’s return. … Faucher said the Raiders’ practice intensity is his favorite part of the job. The least favorite? Bumpy, freezing bus rides to and from distant locales. … Kieth Matte, the Lebanon boys basketball coach who’s taking a year off from the job, watched what he said was his first Raiders game of the season on Monday. His son, former Lebanon player K.J. Matte, has appeared in nine games as a sophomore guard for Maine’s Bowdoin College (8-5) and is averaging a point per contest. … Spencer Coronis, a former Newport High multi-sport standout, is assisting Camp at Kearsarge. … All five starting Cougars and most of their teammates wore leggings beneath their shorts. Not a single Raider donned such garb.

Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.