Belmont boys basketball continued its turn-around season, earning a postseason win Tuesday night, beating the Chelmsford Lions 51-40 in front of an energized home crowd.
Head coach Dan Burns said the team entered the night focused and prepared.
“We were excited, we wanted to keep our routine and I think we did exactly that,” Burns said. “We wanted to keep the ball. They’re known for double-teaming, so we had to play our pace.”
Belmont started their usual five: captains Andre Chavushian, Charlie Tingos, and Braiden Dargon with Theo Sorblom and Peter McLaughlin. The five quickly set the tone. After Tingos dove to the floor for a steal on the opening possession, Chavushian scored three straight baskets to give Belmont a quick 6-0 lead. Chelmsford struggled early and called timeout trailing 10-2, as Belmont’s full-court pressure forced turnovers. The first quarter ended with the Marauders up, 13-7.
The second quarter turned physical and defensive. Sophomore Liam Phillips provided a spark off the bench, knocking down a corner three in his first possession. Belmont carried a 21-12 lead into halftime.
“There were almost no nerves going into it,” senior Eli Akins said after the win. “It felt like any other game. The team knew what we needed to do.”
McLaughlin opened the second half with a layup through contact, and Sorblom later buried a corner three off a Chavushian assist. Quick ball movement led to easy looks, including a Dargon layup, before Tingos drilled a deep three to stretch the lead to 37-18 late in the quarter. The period ended 39-26 after a chippy stretch and visible frustration from the Chelmsford sideline.
Chelmsford pressed aggressively throughout, constantly trapping ball-handlers.
“I didn’t enjoy being randomly thrown with double teams, that was tough,” Chavushian said afterward.
Belmont remained composed in the fourth quarter despite the physical play that netted Chelmsford four fouls in the first three minutes. Another Tingos three-pointer from the wing forced a late timeout from the Lions, and his hustle defense produced a decisive jump ball with just over four minutes left.
With two minutes remaining and the result secured, Belmont emptied the bench. Tyler Raubenheimer immediately delivered a layup that sent the chanting crowd into celebration as Belmont closed out the win.
Dargon praised the collective performance and atmosphere.
“I was proud of how the team played. Everyone did their part,” he said. “Best crowd of the season.”
Tingos led Belmont with 13 points, followed by Chavushian with 10 and Dargon with nine in a balanced scoring effort.
Belmont now advances to face No. 2 Andover on Friday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., a challenge Burns welcomes.
“They are traditionally a very strong program, so it’s a great opportunity for us to be the underdog and show them what Belmont is all about,” Burns said.
