Ledyard — It's not possible for Woodstock Academy coach Greg Smith to hold his point guard, Chris Lowry, in higher esteem. That's what happens when coach and player win a state championship together.

And it was Smith who said before the game that Lowry "is the best point guard in Connecticut."

It was Smith who said this after game:

"(DeAnte) Bruton is just amazing," alluding to Ledyard's point guard, whose quickness and smarts helped the Colonels to a 91-77 victory over the Centaurs on Friday night at Standish Gym, taking a two-game lead in the Large Division of the Eastern Connecticut Conference.

Bruton scored 29 points and had 11 assists as Ledyard (11-2, 5-0) remained unbeaten in the division. Two of Woodstock's three losses have come to Ledyard.

Lowry, courting several Division III offers, had 12 points and seven assists.

"I don't think we have the best point guard," Ledyard coach Dave Cornish said of Bruton. "I know we do. We challenged DeAnte that while people may know we're a pretty good team, they don't know anything about him yet."

Until now.

Bruton and the Colonels used a 27-5 run in the second period to take a 17-point halftime lead.

Woodstock (11-3, 4-2) played the second half without second-leading scorer Will Bourgeois, who hurt his knee in the first half.

And still, the Centaurs rallied within four in the fourth period with the ball.

"They started to get confident in themselves and hit a couple of shots," Smith said of the second-half rally. "Even with the seniors we have, you have to remember they're from Woodstock. When things go bad, they don't have always confidence in themselves."

Woodstock used 3-pointers from Trent Peters (three) and Zack Loughead (two) to shoot its way back into the game.

But Ledyard, after allowing Woodstock to close within 63-59, responded with an 11-2 run to seal it.

"Defense and rebounding," Cornish said. "This was a big game in the league to us. But mostly, it was another good way to challenge the kids."

Dom Benson had 17 points off the bench for the Colonels, while Darnay Gray had 14 points and six rebounds, Khary Childs scored 12 and Phyllip Thomas had 11.

Adam Converse led the Centaurs with 25 points. Peters and John McGinn had 13 apiece.

m.dimauro@theday.com