Mason Pye scored 15 points, Jake Bryan added 10, and the Meridian High School boys’ basketball team beat Manassas Park 81-39 on Tuesday night.

The Meridian Mustangs played their first game in three weeks and opened a stretch of three games in four days against Northwestern District opponents. Last year against Manassas Park, Jim Smith’s squad won its two matchups 92-17 and 85-15. This one was closer, but it was still never in doubt.

After leading 4-2 early, the Mustangs used a 22-0 run in the first quarter and led 30-6 after the period. Marques Myles, who started Meridian’s previous five games, came off the bench and brought energy that helped spark the home team. Manassas Park regrouped and matched Meridian in the second quarter, but still trailed 45-21 at halftime.

It never got any closer than that. Meridian led 61-33 after three quarters and stretched the margin to 42 in the fourth. It was the Mustangs’ largest margin of victory this season, and they have won their last two games by a combined 79 points.

“It was nice just to be able to play again,” Smith said after the game. “We’ve got three games this week and three more next week, so we need to get back into a rhythm.”

Eleven different Mustangs scored as Smith emptied his bench in the fourth quarter to give some of his lesser-used players time on the court. The starters remained engaged late, cheering loudly for every basket from their teammates.

Next, Meridian returns home on short rest to play Kettle Run on Wednesday night.