Last time, sophomore point guard LK Metz fouled out and the Red Raiders pounced on the chance.
In late January, Barnstable defeated the visiting Dennis-Yarmouth Dolphins in overtime after trailing for three quarters of play.
This afternoon, Metz turned out likely his best all-around performance of the season and was joined by fellow Dolphin starters Jamarie Hall, Jim Tereau and Spencer Tyler in a dominating performance on both ends of the court and in particular, beneath the glass.
Interestingly, it was this time, with Barnstable down by 12 points, that high scorer Jason Eddy fouled out with just 2:37 remaining. Eddy led both teams with 29 points on the night.
The D-Y performance and the forced absence of Eddy late in the 4th quarter may have combined to spell what amounted to a decisive 82-64 victory for host D-Y, the first time the Dolphins have beaten the Red Raiders on the parquet since Feb. 2, 2011.
Metz scored a team-high 19 points, including a pair of smooth game-opening treys, had 7 assists, 7 rebounds and two steals. He went 7-13 from the floor and 3-4 from the charity stripe.
The 6'6" Hall was no slouch, either, pouring in a hard-earned 17 points and pulling down 14 rebounds. He also had three assists. Tereau, who buried his first three shots of the game, netted 14 points but it was an 11-point performance off the bench by Sean Illife that may have proven to be the straw that broke the Red Raiders' back, including a momentum-clinching downtown three with just 3:09 remaining in the game and Barnstable scrapping for everything it could.
Barnstable's Eddy, as mentioned, was the game-high scorer with a rock-solid 29 points, a total that included a 10-12 performance from the foul-line and four steals. Eddy was backed up for a great deal of the game by fellow senior Manny Perry who turned in a 15-point night that included one of the most athletic and unlikely fake reverse layups in recent memory.
But that aside, it was D-Y's relentless pursuit of the rebound that may have spelled the true difference in this affair, as the Dolphins capitalized on second chance after chance on the offensive glass. The Dolphins outrebounded Barnstable 38-15, all totalled.
Tedaro France turned in a subtle 12 points for the Red & White and senior co-captain Nick Peabody had a six-point night, shooting 3-10 from the floor. Senior Dylan Morris had Barnstable's only other points when he drained a 14-footer in the 1st quarter.
The Dolphins' scoring was more spread out with eight players in all finding the scorebook. Tyler Spencer added a respectable 10 points to go along with five rebounds, Shawn Mitchell had two points, Mike Anderson netted seven points and Louie Campos - a veritable sparkplug off the bench - netted a pair from the line.
Both teams now await the MIAA postseason seedings. The Dolphins finished 10-1 in the Atlantic Coast League and 15-4 overall while Barnstable drops to 14-5 and saw this season its third straight Old Colony League championship title.