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The Bonner Springs Braves did something they had not done all season on Tuesday night. Actually, they did several things they had yet to do this season, but most importantly they got a victory — and they got it in a big way.

The hot-shooting Braves hammered the visiting Perry Lecompton Kaws, 68-36, in an absolute clinic of how the game of basketball should be played.

The Braves got to every loose ball, every rebound, and every Kaw field goal attempt that had to leave coach Ryan Hull asking himself where that effort had been in the previous six games.

“We needed that,” Hull said. “We had a different dynamic with these guys tonight. They earned (this victory).”

With nearly an entire month off between games, the Braves showed no ill effects from the long layoff. Powered by hot shooting from junior guard Austin Laing’s four first half 3-point baskets, the Braves were able to take a double-digit lead into the locker room at halftime, 34-24.

“We refocused on a little bit of what we did and got more of what we are expecting,” Hull said of his team’s overall performance. “The kids needed to see a product of their hard work. This was good to see.”

The aggressive Braves were not perfect in the first half, though. Three key players picked up two fouls and they had three charging fouls called on them on out-of-control plays. Senior forward Ryan Morris made up for those plays by keeping several missed shots alive when he tipped the ball out to his teammates for second chances.

In the past couple of years, BSHS oftentimes has come out of the locker room flat, but the Braves had a different tune in their first game of 2010. BSHS blitzkrieged the Kaws with a 27-7 run in the third quarter. The run gave the Braves a whopping 30-point lead and allowed for a running clock in the fourth quarter. Fifteen points came from sizzling 3-point shooting from four different players.

Sophomore guard B.J. Watson scored 13 points and helped the Braves’ offense look cohesive. Laing led all scorers with 15. J.J. Jackson returned to the court after recovering from a football injury and scored 10 points.

“On any given night we can have four different guys in double-figures,” Hull said. “All of that scoring would be within what we do.”

The Braves (1-6) will try to start a winning streak when they play at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home against Basehor-Linwood. BLHS is the defending Class 4A state champion.

“(Basehor) is really good and we are going to have to play our hearts out to even compete with them,” Hull said. “To be honest, every team in our league has to take that approach. They are the jewel of our league right now. Everybody is looking to knock of their crown, but that means that they’re really good.”

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