WINCHESTER — There is a new contender in the Middlesex League.

Burlington prevailed, 57-54, in a tough road environment against Winchester, ending their conference rival’s undefeated season.

In a streak dating back to last season, Winchester (12-1, 8-1) was seeking their eleventh straight Middlesex League win. Yet Burlington (9-2, 8-1), after being thoroughly outplayed in the second quarter, responded with an outstanding second half to win the game.

“We willed that victory,” Burlington coach Phil Conners said. “Our defensive effort was the difference. We melted in the second quarter, but we showed some desperation and physicality in the second half and we found a way to tough it out and win.”

The first and last play of the fourth quarter will forever remain on the highlight reel of Burlington’s Matty Gray. The senior captain threw down a one-handed dunk to open the final frame, then blocked a full-court heave right before the final buzzer to secure the victory.

“We knew we hadn’t played our best coming into the second half, so our goal was to turn our defense into offense,” said Gray (17 points, 7 rebounds). “And this win isn’t a surprise to us. We come into every gym expecting to win.”

Burlington jumped ahead in the opening stanza. Courtesy of a steady diet of driving-and-dishing, coupled with picturesque back door cuts, the Red Devils oozed confidence in the first eight minutes. Paced by senior captain Ryan Ellis’ five points, Burlington jumped ahead by four, 17-13, after one.

But Winchester’s Dawson English was just warming up. The senior captain outscored Burlington in the second quarter, pouring in nine of his game-high 28 points. Unlike the first quarter, Winchester moved the ball, received contributions from five different scorers, and outscored Burlington by 10 to take the lead, 31-25, at the midway point.

A back-and-forth third quarter ended when Winchester center Carson Sarpong (8 points, 15 rebounds) drained a 15-footer from just beyond the elbow to put the Red and Black ahead by one, 42-41, heading into the final frame.

Burlington held Winchester to 12 points in the fourth. And senior guard Charlie Poehler came through in the clutch, scoring eight of his team-high 20 points in the fourth.

“I felt fearless out there,” said Poehler. “A lot of credit for that goes to my teammates opening the floor for me and our coach calling great plays. We knew they were undefeated, so we were extra motivated. It was a great team win.”

An unsung hero for Burlington was junior forward Leon Sekandi, who exhibited grit and determination while guarding Sarpong, who is an incredibly tough matchup at 6-foot-7.

“I feel like I’m the best defender in the state,” Sekandi said. “I believe I can guard whoever, especially with my teammates. We hustle and effort on every single play–that’s why we want to get every rebound.”

A questionable goaltending call on Sarpong pushed Burlington’s lead to six points, 55-49, with just over a minute to play. The Winchester bench did not agree with the call, but that was not what decided the game, especially considering they missed five free throws in the fourth.

“Burlington is very good, and it was back-and-forth all night,” Winchester coach John Fleming said. “Our offense got stagnant at times, and we needed a couple more stops down the stretch. But this will help prepare us down the stretch. It was a tournament-level game.”

For Burlington, which has aspirations of a deep run in Division 2, the victory is an emphatic statement.

“That’s a very good Winchester team,” Conners said. “To win a game like that, and take it to them physically, I’m very proud of my kids.”