They may not be the biggest team, but don’t let that deceive you. The third-grade Deerfield basketball team used their speed to swarm the Aces.

Deerfield found its stroke and wore down the Aces, winning 30-15 Saturday at Holcom Park Center.

“We had been working on the simple fundamentals and rules of the game, and today it paid off,” said Deerfield head coach Steve Wilson.

Rather than using a big man, Deerfield relied on their quick backcourt combination of David Neff and Justin Narcomy. The two worked together early on, gaining the momentum for Deerfield and building an early lead over the Aces.

Neff started at the point guard position for Deerfield. Neff’s ability to dribble to the hoop and create spacing for his teammates caused problems for the Aces. Defensively, Neff led Deerfield in steals with his ability to jump into the passing lane and break up the pass.

Looking to keep the momentum, Narcomy looked to push the offense and create easy transition points. Narcomy provided pressure defense and a tremendous amount of hustle to jumpstart Deerfield. Narcomy also provided an offensive boost combining an outside shot to go along with his attacking drive.

Deefield defenders wait downcourt as the Aces try to set up their offense at Holcom Park Center.

Despite the lethal one-two combination, the Aces continued to attack.

Wesley Tolbert led the way for the Aces using his speed to slash through the Deerfield defense. Tolbert was a one-man wrecking crew late in the third quarter for the Aces, converting on back-to-back possessions.

Looking to build on the momentum, Ace big man Devin Pinager cleaned up on the boards and finished strong on close-range shots. Along with Pinager down low was Logan Applegate. The two worked together by boxing out the Deerfield offense, ripping down rebounds at will and starting the fast break the opposite way.

With the Aces creeping back, Deerfield forward Blake Murray came off the bench and closed the door on the Aces. Murray used his height to block two shots in the closing minutes to secure the Deerfield win.