By Kim J. Harmon

Was an upset in the works?

Some people had to be thinking just that when Thomas Capozziello scored the first six points and the Mavericks had jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead on the Bullets in the first Intermediate Boys semifinal game last Saturday at the Reed Intermediate School.

It would be a huge upset, too, considering the Bullets were the first seed and the Mavs were the 12th seed.

But, alas, even though the Mavs scored the first six points, the Bullets scored 29 of the next 30 points and cruised to a 45-22 win to advance to the championship game on Wednesday night against the Knicks (see related story).

Capozziello scored his first bucket just seconds off the opening tip and just seconds after that he made a steal in the backcourt and raced in for an easy layup. The Bullets were stymied on the offensive end and then Capozziello popped in another basket to put the Mavs on top, 6-0.

Yes, the Mavs were rolling.

But they would only hold off the Bullets for so long.

Right before the four-minute changeover, Greg Campbell scored to get the Bullets on the board. Then Sam Kerr came on the floor and took over the game for the Bullets, popping in three baskets and going 3-of-4 from the line to give the No. 1 seed a 13-6 lead at the close of the first period.

The only Bullet basket not scored by Kerr was a baseline flip by Rob Uhde.

Campbell kept things going for the Bullets in the first four minutes of the second period, canning a pair of buckets to put the Bullets on top, 17-7. The Mavs had broken a 15-0 run with a free throw by Yanni Koutmos, but Campbell’s second basket and then eight more points from Kerr (two off a steal and two more from the free throw line) gave the Bullets a 25-7 lead at the half.

At the start of the third period, Campbell canned two more baskets before Capozziello finally dropped a shot through the iron for the Mavs. But Kerr popped in two more baskets and Joe Pieretti added a jumper to put the Bullets on top, 35-9. The third period ended with Luke Piazza canning 1-of-2 from the free throw line.

The Mavs made a little push at the start of the fourth period when Dan Sclafani scored on back-to-back drives to the basket. But the Bullets were still hot as Jon Hull hit back-to-back baskets, Derek Krewson flipped in a putback and Pieretti banked one in off the glass.

After Capozziello scored to break the 8-0 run, Justin Spath flipped in an acrobatic shot to put the Bullets on top, 45-16. But the Mavs closed out the fourth period – and the game – by scoring the last six points. Sean Burson scored twice in a row before Capozziello finished things off with his sixth basket of the game.

Kerr led the Bullets with 21 points while Campbell added 10. Capozziello had 12 points to pace the Mavericks while Sclafani and Burson had four apiece.

BULLETS (45): Sam Kerr 21, Greg Campbell 10, Joe Pieretti 4, Jon Hull 4, Derek Krewson 2, Justin Spath 2, Rob Uhde 2.

MAVERICKS (22): Thomas Capozziello 12, Dan Sclafani 4, Sean Burson 4, Yanni Koutmos 1, Luke Piazza 1.