AUBURN — To say the least, Edward Little’s four-of-19 shooting performance was not the stuff of legend.

“We didn’t help ourselves, taking quick shots,” Red Eddies coach Mike Adams said of his team’s first quarter shooting woes.

Still, Edward Little was too good in other departments, using a 40-23 edge in rebounds, including 17 on the offensive glass, as the Red Eddies pulled away from shorthanded Brunswick for a 59-43 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference boys’ basketball victory on Friday.

Edward Little improved to 3-0 and visits Erskine Academy on Tuesday, while the Dragons fell to 1-2 with their second consecutive loss.

Helped by Brunswick’s lack of depth — nine players suited up — the Red Eddies planned on running the court, hoping to tire out the Dragons.

“I thought Brunswick pushed on us and transitioned well, and they showed us how to transition,” said Adams, who praised his senior captain Quin Leary, who had a solid all-around game with 15 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals. “There were four consecutive possessions in the fourth quarter when Quin either grabbed a rebound or stepped up and made a steal when the game was still in question. He does the little things and we are lucky to have him.”

“Depth is a problem for us, but it comes down to improving our basketball IQ,” said Brunswick coach Todd Hanson. “Four times we fouled outside the 3-point line and put them on the free-throw line. We made it a six-point game (30-24 with 3:47 remaining in the third quarter), but we made some bad basketball plays, something you can’t do against a good team.”

That stretch ended the Dragons’ hopes, as Leary began finding his perimeter shooters, most notably Nate Alexander, who shook off first-half foul trouble to score 15 second-half points, finishing with a game-high 18 points. He nailed three 3-pointers in a six-minute stretch to turn a close game into a 52-36 advantage early in the fourth quarter.

“Nate is a great shooter and works hard, and when he gets open his shots tend to fall,” said Leary. “When we are able to get inside and kick the ball out, we are at our best.”

Brunswick grabbed its only lead on a Konnor Scarponi free throw for a 1-0 edge. Edward Little answered with a 7-0 run, including three free throws from Alexander.

The Red Eddies continued to struggle from the field, but five offensive caroms in the first quarter allowed Edward Little to claim an 11-5 lead after a quarter.

The teams traded baskets in the second quarter, with the Dragons down just four, 15-11, after Alex Bandouveres converted a pass from Brad Smith.

But, EL received five straight points from Leary, and Lew Jensen drained a 3-pointer to close the half with the Red Eddies on top 23-13.

EL was just nine of 34 from the floor in the opening half, but a 25-13 advantage in rebounds and a 5-for-24 shooting performance from the Dragons allowed the Red Eddies to take a double-digit lead.

“We couldn’t score, and we were allowing three or four opportunities,” said Hanson of his team’s struggles. “They didn’t shoot much better from the perimeter than us, but you permit three or four shots on one possession and it ultimately leads to your downfall.”

Brunswick’s Ryan Black scored to begin the second half, but Alexander, who went to the bench early in the second quarter with his third foul, scored five straight points for a 28-15 EL lead.

The Dragons found some rhythm, getting five points from guard Derek Devereaux, including a three-point play, to close to 30-22, and Smith’s putback cut the EL lead to 30-24.

But, Alexander’s second trey of the quarter, a 3-pointer by Sean Ford and a putback by Leary gave the Red Eddies a 38-26 lead. Six more EL points followed as the advantage grew to 18 points, 44-26, before Brunswick ended an 11-0 run on a Smith basket.

Despite the 16-point victory, Adams had nothing but praise for Brunswick.

“That is a really good defensive team, and those kids are as fundamental as any team we will play this season,” said Adams.

Ford joined Alexander and Leary in double figures with 15 points, 10 coming in the fourth quarter. EL shot 36 percent from the floor (21 of 58) and made 12-of-16 free throws. Ian Mileikis pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds and dished out four assists, while Alexander had six rebounds and Ford five.

Smith and Scarponi led Brunswick (1-2 and scheduled to host Oxford Hills on Tuesday) with seven points, with Blake Gordon and Bandouveres adding six points apiece. The Dragons were 17 of 49 (34 percent) from the floor and eight of 12 from the foul line. Brunswick forced 16 turnovers.