Times Observer Photo by Steve Younger Eisenhower’s Gavin Lindemuth (24) prepares to block a Titusville’s shot during Friday’s boys basketball game.

RUSSELL — The Eisenhower Knights used a balanced scoring attack to beat the Titusville Rockets 81-52 in nonregion boys basketball Friday night.

The Knights raced out to a 21-11 first-quarter lead and never looked back as five different players scored in the opening period.

Eisenhower head coach Ryan Mangini began to work in different players to put pressure on the Rockets’ Isaiah Colon, who was coming off a 34-point effort in Titusville’s last game. He was held to just 10 first-half points Friday.

“That young man is a tremendous shooter,” Mangini said. “Our guys really pressured him tonight.”

The Knights ran out to a 19-point lead before the Rockets cut their deficit to 36-28 at the half, but Eisenhower came out of the locker room determined to not let the game slip away as the Knights’ pressure defense caused turnovers and held the Rockets to just 9 points in the third quarter. Eisenhower scored 23 to widen its lead to 58-37.

Mangini began to rest his starters in the fourth quarter and the bench players continued to play strong defense, but it was the Knights’ rebounding and balanced scoring that increased their lead and led to the win.

Gavin Lindemuth, a 6-foot-4 sophomore, led the Knights with 17 points and Mangini’s team saw nine different players score in the game.

Five Knights scored in double figures.

“Gavin had his coming out party tonight on the offensive side,” Mangini said. “He and (Kris) Bunk just dominated the glass. It was a great team win, hopefully we can keep that momentum going.”

“I wasn’t really worried about scoring, I just wanted the rebounds,” Lindemuth added. “It was a total team win.”

High-scoring honors went to Colon, who had 23 points in the loss.

In jayvee action, the Knights won a close game 32-30. Eisenhower was led by Jo Gigliotti’s 9 points. The Rockets were led by Jack Saxton, who had 11 points.

The Knights are back in action tonight at home against Fort LeBouef with a 6 p.m. jayvee tip-off. The varsity will follow.

TITUSVILLE (52)

Colon 8 3 23, Leonard 1 2 4, HoFratus 1 0 2, HuFratus 3 1 8, Kurshinski 3 0 8, Saxton 0 0 0, Schmidt 0 1 1, Kerr 3 0 6. Totals 19 7 52.

EISENHOWER (81)

Sobkowski 2 0 4, Black 5 1 12, Wonderling 1 0 2, Mandeville 0 0 0, Bunk 5 4 15, Seymour 2 1 6, Hanson 6 0 15, Guiher 4 1 10, Lindemuth 8 1 17. Totals 33 8 81.

3-point goals–Colon 4, HuFratus, Kurshinski 2, Black, Bunk, Seymour, Hanson 3, Guiher.

Titusville 11 17 9 15 — 52

Eisenhower 21 15 23 22 — 81

Jayvees: Eisenhower won 32-20.