Bellows Falls opened its season Saturday afternoon with a 67–57 win over Springfield at Holland Gymnasium, using sustained defensive pressure and balanced scoring to pull away after a competitive first quarter.

Springfield struck first when Bradley Gallant knocked the lid off the basket with an and-one layup, though he was unable to convert the free throw. The Cosmos controlled much of the opening quarter, but Bellows Falls stayed within striking distance by picking up ball handlers early and disrupting Springfield’s rhythm.

That pressure paid off late in the period when freshman Colton Shanks entered and made an immediate impact. Shanks connected on a pull-up jumper on his first touch, then buried a three just before the buzzer to knot the game at 11–11 heading into the second quarter.

Bellows Falls began to take control in the second, turning defense into offense and capitalizing on quality looks in the half court. The stretch was punctuated by Saul James finding Morgan Haskell for back-to-back open three-pointers, with Haskell later adding another from deep to extend the Terriers’ advantage. Springfield mounted a late push before halftime, but Bellows Falls carried a 10-point lead into the break.

The Terriers stretched the margin to 15 in the third quarter behind the physical play of Coby Levesque, who attacked the glass relentlessly and forced the issue in the paint. Levesque finished the quarter with seven points, mixing a field goal with multiple trips to the free-throw line. Defensively, the tandem of Levesque and James wreaked havoc, forcing turnover after turnover and converting them into easy offense. James highlighted the run by going coast to coast after a steal, finishing with a reverse layup through traffic.

“We came into the game with energy,” Levesque said. “For me, it was about getting everyone involved, pressuring the ball as much as possible, and rebounding. Saul and I had the mindset of doing the dirty work defensively and hitting the glass.”

Springfield refused to go quietly in the fourth, trimming the lead to 11, watching it balloon back to 17, and then cutting it to nine with just over a minute remaining after a strong late push. The Terriers remained composed down the stretch, closing out the win and leaving Holland Gymnasium victorious.

“It was all about energy,” Bellows Falls head coach Evan Chadwick said. “When we played with that intensity, it translated into easy offense. The game plan was to turn it into a track meet, and that starts with our ball pressure. I was really impressed with our guys’ effort for the first game.”

Levesque led Bellows Falls with 20 points and set the tone on both ends of the floor, adding eight rebounds and five steals. Saul James contributed 11 points and a game-high eight steals, while Morgan Haskell (11), Jaden Bazin (10), and Jacob Kissel (10) helped power a balanced Terrier attack.

Bellows Falls will be back in action Tuesday when the Terriers travel to Mount St. Joseph Academy in round one of the Green Mountain Holiday Tournament in Chester.