Bellevue coach Chris O’Connor was just hoping his team would have enough energy Tuesday night against Sammamish following Monday’s late-night loss to No. 2 Enumclaw.

For the first half, they didn’t. Although they led at halftime, the Wolverines were out-rebounded and out of sync.

Then Aaron Bright took over. Bellevue’s senior point guard found his spots, drained his shots and may have even found a future as a product pitchman as the Wolverines outlasted Sammamish 70-60.

“I took a 5-Hour Energy at halftime and that might have been the reason,” Bright said with a laugh following the win. “No, coach got into us at half. We just weren’t moving the ball or rebounding.”

Bellevue led 31-27 at the half but the Totems came charging back in the third quarter and briefly took the lead when sophomore guard John Steinberg hit three three-pointers in the opening minutes of the half.

But with Sammamish holding a 43-38 advantage with 4:01 left in the third, Bright went to work.

The Stanford-bound senior took over the game, scoring nine of his game-high 21 points in the third, putting Bellevue ahead 50-47 with just under two minutes left in the quarter, a lead they would relinquish for less than thirty seconds the rest of the game.

“That’s been the thing that we talk to Aaron about all the time, is picking his spots, letting the game come to him and not forcing it,” O’Connor said. “He did a great job tonight and showed good patience.”

Sammamish used a three-point play from Daniel Wruble with 4:52 left in the game to take a 58-57 lead, but John Ahrens and Bright scored back-to-back baskets to put the Wolverines back out front for good. Bellevue’s defense held the Totems without a bucket for the next three minutes.

“We just had to fight through it and get at them,” Bright said.

Bright, who had five steals, wasn’t the only Wolverine hitting his shots. Junior guard Will Locke scored 17 points for Bellevue (13-1, 6-0 KingCo 3A/2A) and also lead the team with 10 rebounds.

“When the ball is out of Aaron’s hands, Will has to be the guy,” O’Connor said. “He did a great job.”

Nate Sikma added 11 points for Bellevue.

Sammamish (10-4, 4-2) had to come back several times during the game, including an eight-point deficit early in the second quarter.

“I was proud of their fight,” said Totems coach Wes Newton. “Previous years, that lead might have gone from eight to 20 real quick. But they just kept fighting.”

Wruble led Sammamish with 14 points. Steinberg added 11.

The difference in the game was Bright – and the Totems unable to answer when he started to take over the game.

“He is honestly one of the best players I’ve ever seen in high school, and I played against Jamal Crawford and guys like that,” Newton said. “He’s just unbelievable.”

Bellevue rebounded from Monday’s 53-47 loss to undefeated Enumclaw in the King Holiday Hoopfest. O’Connor said he was initially concerned on how his team would respond.

“Sammamish is dangerous,” he said. “They can all shoot and they play with a lot of energy. I’m just glad we survived.”