The Richard Montgomery boys basketball team lacked their original home court advantage, but there was no need for it as the Rockets took care of business at Rockville High School on Wednesday, winning 77-60. Richard Montgomery completed the double over Rockville, having beat the Rams in December, 66-48. RM became 11-3 on the season and remain in the lead of Class 4A/3A South.

Richard Montgomery’s gymnasium suffered from water damage after the thirty inches of snow that fell during Winter Storm Jonas. All RM home basketball games have been moved to the opponent’s gym while the gym is refurbished.

“Honestly, when we said we have all away games for the rest of the season, I don’t even think anybody groaned,” Coach Breslaw said. “These guys are ball players so they really don’t care.”

There was stark difference in scoring distribution between the Rockets and the Rams Wednesday night. The Rams, led by Ben Weibusch with 26 points and Essex Thompson with 20, lacked any other player that scored more than four points. The Rockets spread the floor and had 11 total scorers, with five players scoring seven points or more.

RM led by as much as seven points in the first quarter, but the Rams did not lie down early. A series of turnovers by the Rockets saw the first quarter end tied at 12. After that, the Rockets pulled away for good.

“We made a couple of adjustments, substitutions,” senior Nasiir Robinson said, who scored 12 points on his 18th birthday Wednesday night. “Guys coming in that were ready to bring energy. Some of the starters didn’t have the energy required for this kind of game, but some of the people coming off the bench brought the energy we needed.”

Rockville showed some speed against RM, who happen to be Montgomery County’s highest scoring team. But as soon as Thompson ran the floor and got a quick basket for the Rams, senior Jonathan Custodio, 13 points on the night, had the Rockets two points back with a fast break of his own.

Sophomore Daryn Alexander featured off the bench for RM and scored 13 points and had five blocks. Daryn Alexander and senior Daniel Alexander linked up on numerous fast breaks as the Rockets began to pull away in the second half.

“We had to get our mind right, it was a little sluggish,” Daryn Alexander said. “We came into the game not thinking they were as good, and they punched us in the mouth [in the first quarter.] We really had to respond well to that and I think we did as a team.”

The Rockets will play at Wootton on Friday in another 4A/3A matchup.