Volcanoes open season with win

The Vancouver Volcanoes may have come short in last season’s International Basketball League 2013 final against the Bellingham Slam, but they had more than enough for a solid start to the 2014 season.

Andre Murray scored 37 points, and Chehales Tapscott had 35 points and 19 rebounds as the Volcanoes posted a 127-115 victory Saturday at the O’Connell Center at Clark College.

Vancouver (1-0) led 21-13 after the first quarter, and the Slam rallied to take a 48-44 lead midway through the second, thanks to a 16-2 run, before settling for a 56-56 tie at halftime.

The Volcanoes took it too the Bellingham defense in the second half by scoring 71 points.

After Vancouver extended their advantage to 11 points late in the third quarter, the Slam was able to trim the deficit to four points early in the fourth, thanks to a three-pointer by guard Morris Anderson. But that would be as close as the Slam would get as the Volcanoes rounded out the game with some hot shooting.

Bellingham (1-1) was led by Anderson’s 23 points. Guard Richard Woodworth and center Blake Poole each finished with 19.

The Volcanoes next host the Salem Sabres at 7 p.m. Friday.