FRANKLIN—Brunswick High School used its speed and physical play to down Franklin High School 49-38 in a non-district boys basketball game Friday night.

Brunswick, a Class AA school that was the runner-up in the state championship game last season and is coached by former NBA player Brian Stith, beat Franklin for the second time this season.

The Bulldogs (2-1) broke open a close contest in the third quarter. Leading 21-13 at the half, Brunswick outscored Franklin 13-7 in the third quarter. Lewis Devonne scored six of his 17 points in the period, with a bucket on the inside, a jumper and a three-pointer. The Bulldogs ran the ball up and down the floor all evening, despite being in foul trouble most of the game.

The Broncos (1-3) did not give up and outscored Brunswick 18-14 in the fourth quarter after scoring just 20 points in the first three periods. Leading 46-28 with 3:17 to play after an Antonio Epps putback, the Bulldogs put Franklin on the foul line. Between 3:17 and 1:11, Donzell Shearin made six free throws to cut the Brunswick lead to 46-34. Brunswick’s Michael Wynn then scored on a layup, but Franklin’s Josh Willis canned a three-pointer to drop the Brunswick lead to 48-37. Time ran out on the Broncos (1-3), but head coach Danny Dillon was happy to see that his team did not roll over in the fourth quarter.

“Our hustle in the fourth quarter to score 18 points and flat out beat them in the quarter and not give up is what we have to take from this,” Dillon said. “I’m really pleased with that, because we could have folded for sure.”

Brunswick looked sluggish when it had to play a half-court game. Four of the team’s five starters just recently finished up with football and the team has not practiced much together. Stith’s goal is to get away from half-court play, anyway.

“We try to go up and down the floor and with our pressure defense give our offense easy opportunities,” he said.

The Broncos shot under 50 percent from the foul line, but it was the free throws that kept them in the game. The Broncos were down 9-3 in the first quarter, but Shearin and Willis converted five free throws in the last 37 seconds of the quarter to make it 9-8 Brunswick.

Shearin led the Franklin attack with 19 points and Willis chipped in 10.

The Broncos host Northampton tonight and host Southampton Friday night.