Norwich — It was out of necessity that Ledyard senior Scott Whipple was moved from the post to guard.

The Colonels might want to consider making it permanent.

Whipple made four 3-pointers and scored a game 26 points as Ledyard tore up Norwich Free Academy on Friday night, 75-51, in an Eastern Connecticut Conference Large Division boys' basketball game.

Colonels junior Isaiah McNair dislocated a finger during Tuesday’s 59-56 win over Stonington. It led to head coach Dave Cornish shifting Whipple, a 6-foot power forward, to help out at guard.

“I like to play down in the post because I like to show off my athletic ability,” Whipple said. “I play down there with the big men and jump up there and show my physical ability. I wouldn’t mind playing either (position). I just love the game. It doesn’t matter where you put me.”

Whipple made two 3-pointers and scored 11 in the second quarter to help Ledyard take a 33-21 halftime lead.

“I was so used to playing down at the four,” Whipple said. “I was pretty much stuck with my post moves, and then I came out to guard, and it was a little shaky for me. So I had to get my hot streak back.”

Cornish said of Whipple, “He’s a very good shooter; he’s a good slasher. He’s all over the place, and in some places where we don’t want him, but he gets steals. We ride with him. Scott is great. Scott gave us a huge lift.”

Whipple also had seven steals, four rebounds and three assists for the Colonels (10-2, 3-1).

McNair sure didn’t play like someone with a bum finger as he had 14 points and five steals. Junior Steven Fletcher scored 16.

Sophomore Seth Thomas scored 15 for the Wildcats (7-6, 2-2) and Jalen Graham scored 12.

The game was tied at 12 to start the second quarter when Whipple went coast-to-coast for a layup. He followed with a steal and passed to Fletcher for a layup.

“We had heard that (Whipple) was playing well,” NFA head coach Chris Guisti said. “I did anticipate that he was going to give us trouble, but he was really spot-on from three tonight."

Whipple also led a late 10-0 run in the second quarter with 3-pointer, a turnaround jumper, and another 3-pointer in succession. Fletcher ended the run with two free throws to push Ledyard ahead, 32-18, with 57 seconds left.

The Colonels pressed to open the second half and the Wildcats’ unraveled. NFA turned it over five times in the first four minutes and nine times overall in the third quarter.

“That’s been something that’s given us problems, any type of press,” Guisti said. “We work on it a lot, but sometimes handling pressure is about expecting it time and time again.

“Even though we practice it, the lights in the gym are a lot hotter on game night than they are in practice.”

Ledyard’s press led to a 17-4 run. Whipple’s 3-pointer and McNair’s layup give the Colonels their biggest lead, 50-25, with over three minutes left in the third quarter.

“That was probably our best win,” Fletcher said. “Everybody played hard. There was no let up.”

n.griffen@theday.com

Twitter: @MetalNED