Bulls win at buzzer, RCBL finals even

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With two ticks left on the clock, Damon Mello of the Bulls readies to launch his winning three-point shot. Lucas Brewer (right) and Sandy Fisher of the Heat vainly try to stop him. — Photo by Ralph Stewart

The Bulls beat the Heat with a buzzer-beater in the second of the best two of three RCBL championship playoff series Monday evening at the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club gym in Edgartown.

The Heat won the first game handily, 97-86.

After an unusually slow start Monday, the score was only 17-15 at the end of fhe first 12-minute quarter with the Heat on top.

The warm ones still held a two-point edge at the half, 37-35.

But the Heat were anything but hot in the third quarter scoring only 14 points to the Bulls’ 22 to trail at the three-quarters mark, 57-51.

The final frame couldn’t have been more tense. The Bulls led by as much as nine midway through the quarter. But the Heat never quit, edging closer and coming within a one-play reach of evening the count but falling just short of a tie until the final minute when they squeezed by the Bulls, 82-81, then 83-81, after Brewer sank some freebies. (He was 5-for-5 in the final minutes.)

But at the last second — literally — Damon Mello sent a long rocket that somehow found its way through the hoop and immediately the buzzer sounded.

Bulls 84-Heat 83.

Damon Mello, Brandt Silvia, and Asil Cash were high scorers for the Bulls, all reaching double figures. Cody Brewer, Sandy Fisher, Clark Agnew, Jason Dyer, and Matt Rivers all made it to twin columns for the Heat.

The final game of the series, winner take all, will be Monday at 6:30 pm at the Boys & Girls Club gym.