BELLAIRE — It may have been a game that two teams with just two wins between them, but it was nothing but exciting from start to finish. A total of eight players scored in twin figures and it wasn’t until the final minutes that Bellaire was able to seal a 69-63 win over Bridgeport Tuesday night.

Bellaire head coach J.R. Battista had seen his Big Reds drop seven straight since edging Bridgeport in its last win. The decision boosted the homestanding Big Reds to 3-12 on the season. They are back in action on Friday playing host to Steubenville Catholic.

Coach Donnie Cash’s Bulldogs dropped to 0-14 on the season, but for the second straight outing, gave their opponents a run for their money.

Bridgeport returns to the home court to entertain Beallsville on Friday in hopes of securing its first win.

Bellaire was able to open with an 8-2 lead and was on top by 10-4 before the Bulldogs went on a 15-2 run. That last spurt enabled the visitors to take the lead and hold a 19-12 upper hand at the end of the first frame. Five different players scored during the period-ending outburst.

In the second session, the teams seemed to exchange minor outbursts, with Bellaire’s Jaren Cash and David Zwack starting the hosts with a bucket and a free throw. Cooper Dulesky and Adam Sommer mirrored the Big Reds scoring to enable the Dogs to stay on top by 22-15. It was Bellaire that put together a nice 11-2 run that eventually returned the hosts to the lead on three straight at the line by Owen Ward. A couple scoring exchanges and Bridgeport’s success at the line allowed the Bulldogs to squeeze out a 31-30 halftime lead.

“They played really well,” Battista said afterwards. “Give credit to Donnie (Cash). They caused us some real problems in the first two, three quarters, but we kind of pulled away in the end. We made a couple big shots that allowed us to get control.

“They were throwing passes and making shots in the first half and we were just looking around,” Battista added. “But we tightened it up in the second half. It was no thing of beauty, but we were able to make some free throws down the stretch and score some points when we needed.

“I told people that we have not been in that situation much this season or last. Usually, we are the ones chasing people around and stretching (the game) out, but finally we got to turn it around. So it’s a victory and we’ll take it,” the Big Reds coach said.

In the third frame, Bellaire got going, but was still having trouble getting much separation from the hustling Bulldogs. As the session ended, the teams kept it close with the score deadlocked at 34, 40 and 44 before a trey from the corner by Zwack and one from the top of the key by Cash pushed the hosts in front by 50-44 entering the fourth.

With the leads remaining narrow through much of the fourth, Bellaire was able to open a 10-point margin at 59-49 and 61-51 before the Dogs started to chip away. An 8-2 spurt that included three-pointers by Riese O’Kernick and Sommer enabled Bridgeport to cut the deficit to four at 63-59. Down the stretch, Bellaire made six straight free throws to hold off the Bulldogs.

“Some mental mistakes there and a little stretch in the third quarter where they made a little run and then we missed some foul shots,” Coach Cash said after the tough loss. “But our kids played hard and I loved their effort. There was that stretch in the third when they dug themselves a little hole. They weathered the storm and they came back in the fourth.

“Some ill-advised shots in the third quarter that we missed and gave them some extra possessions,” Cash added. “Bellaire made plays and give them credit.”

Wilson played a stellar game leading the winners with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Zwack closed with 14 points, Ward finished 12 and Andrew Littell added 10.

Bridgeport was paced by Dulesky’s 16 points and 15 by O’Kernick. P. J. Sauvageot tossed in 13 and Sommer finished with 11. Dulesky paced the Dogs on the boards.

In the jayvee tussle, Bellaire registered a 54-38 win.