The Boothbay Region High School Seahawks boys basketball team (4-0) got another good test on Friday as they trailed the Madison Bulldogs by seven points with a little over half a period to play.

John Hepburn, who again got into early foul trouble, was around long enough to score nine fourth period points including five in a row that cut the lead to two.

Evan Hepburn then got fouled, but missed both free throw attempts; and a technical foul on Madison only produced one point out a possible four as Aaron Dickinson hit one of two with 2:56 remaining in the game.

After no scoring from either side for almost two minutes, John Hepburn ended up at the line and hit both to give the Seahawks the lead for the first time since the beginning of the period when Madison established its lead with a mini 7-0 run.

Twenty-five seconds after his brother hit the two free throws, Evan Hepburn got behind the Madison press that had caused problems, for an easy hoop to push the lead to three with 50 seconds remaining. The same scenario repeated itself as Abel Bryer scored to wrap up the 51-46 victory.

A defensive struggle for most of the first period, the Seahawks got six points from John Hepburn in the first period including a late hoop that gave Boothbay a 10-6 lead, only to have Mark Linkletter hit a three-pointer at the first period buzzer.

The visiting Bulldogs scored the first five points of the second period and still held a two-point lead late in the half until a three-pointer by Dickinson, followed by a put back by Joseph DiMauro and an inside hoop by Nick Burge, gave the Seahawks a five-point lead at the break.

The Seahawks seemed ready to cruise with a seven-point advantage midway through the third period until Madison went on a 7-0 run that included a steal and hoop by Jared Miller, another fast break hoop by Nicholas Morales, and an inside hoop by Mitch Jarvis.

John Hepburn led the Seahawks with 15 points and Evan Hepburn added 13.

On Monday, Dec. 15 the Seahawks improved their record to 4-0 with a decisive 86-44 victory at Bethel over the Telstar Rebels. The visiting Seahawks ran out to a 26-10 first period lead before being out scored 12-9 in the second period.

John Hepburn was again the leading scorer with 29 points as the senior closes in on his 1000th career point. Julian Aponte added 14 points and Jacob Leonard 10.

The Seahawks should face another test on Friday, Dec. 19 when they travel to Hall-Dale.