New London — One thing those who follow New London boys' basketball have learned to count on over the years been an in-your-face, pitbull defensive mentality.

The Whalers weren’t playing to their identity through one half of Friday night’s game against Ledyard and trailed by five points.

“The first half, there were just some variations of opinions with the coaches in that regard,” New London head coach Craig Parker said. “And then we decided to come out and pressure them and see how it would go. And it went well.”

“It went well” is a great understatement.

Gio Lopez scored nine of his 18 points in a decisive third quarter and had seven of the Whalers’ 20 turnovers as they choked out Ledyard, 73-55, at Conway Gymnasium in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division I opener for both teams.

“We knew that their ballhandlers weren’t the greatest,” Lopez said. “We said, ‘you know what, let’s see what happens if we press them and make them try to dribble out of the press.’ And that’s what they did. They tried to dribble, we trapped, played great defense and turned the ball over.”

New London shot 29.2 percent (7 of 24) in the first half and trailed 27-22.

The Whalers came out pressing to start the second half. They had nine steals, scored 17 unanswered points at one juncture, and outscored the Colonels 31-9 in the third quarter.

“If we’re not going to be able to run our offense and score like that, then turnovers it’s going to have to be,” Lopez said.

Edwardo Gonzalez made six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 26 points with four steals for New London (4-1, 1-0). Jalen Benson added three 3-pointers for 13 points with four steals, and Isiah Benson had nine points, seven rebounds and three steals.

Post Trevor Hutchins had his way in the first quarter as he scored 10 for the Colonels (3-2, 0-1). Hutchins had just one field goal in the second half and finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

“Young and inexperienced (at guard),” Ledyard head coach Dave Cornish said “We relied on Isiah (McNair) and Steven (Fletcher) last year. If things were going haywire, they took the ball. They were two really good guards; senior leaders who took over the game when we needed them to. We don’t have anyone right now that’s like that guard-wise.

“Trevor can only do so much. He needs to get the ball. Someone has to get the ball to him.”

Devin Rickerson (10 points) was the only other player to score in double figures for the Colonels.

Lopez scored the first five points of the second half, including a three-point play on a steal, to tie the game at 27.

Ledyard led 31-30 with over five minutes left in the third quarter when the Whalers took it out.

Jalen Benson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer and Isaiah Benson followed with a layup off of a Lopez steal to push New London ahead, 35-31. Lopez followed with a put-back and a steal for a layup. He had five steals in that quarter alone.

“Gio, he was our intensity guy,” Parker said. “A player-motivator to his teammates tonight, particularly in the second half. He did a nice job; a nice all-around good job.”

Gonzalez made back-to-back 3-pointers to push the Whalers’ advantage to 47-31 with three minutes, 32 seconds left in the third quarter.

Isaiah Benson’s steal and layup gave New London its largest lead, 69-49, with 3:38 remaining in the game.

“Tonight it worked,” Parker said about the Whalers’ pressing defense. “Tonight it worked.”

n.griffen@theday.com