In one motion, the senior snared the basketball, whirled, and heaved a pass to the other end of the court without so much as a glance up.

Luke Westman, his Newton North High teammate and best friend, had taken off running before Thorpe had his hands on the ball, knowing Thorpe would get it to him, just as Thorpe knew Westman would be there waiting for the pass.

The result of their seemingly telepathic exchange: an easy layup.

“Sometimes we don’t even have to communicate,’’ Thorpe said.

“We know what each other is going to do. The chemistry we have with each other pays off a bunch.’’

Their connection was on full display Tuesday night on the road against Bay State Conference rival Walpole High, as they propelled the Tigers to their fifth straight win, beating the Rebels, 58-43.

Westman contributed 16 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks. Thorpe, who has committed to play at Emerson College next year, finished with 10 points, 6 steals, and 4 assists.

It has been a charmed start to the season for the two senior cocaptains.

Thorpe is a 6-foot-1 guard, a natural scorer (averaging 14 points per game) with a quick release from the outside. The 6-foot-3 Westman, who is receiving attention from NESCAC schools, can play any position. He was all over the court against Walpole - he covered the Rebels center in the first quarter, then in the fourth played point guard - and is just as comfortable in the post as he is dribbling in transition.

Defensively, they are both smothering, on-the-ball defenders and good communicators. Their games mesh easily, the product of three years playing together under coach Paul Connolly.

“They’re very competitive with each other in practice, but it’s always a fun competition,’’ Connolly said. “It’s not an ego competition. It’s more just fun. They push each other to make each other better. They’ll be lasting friends for a long time.’’

It wasn’t always that way.

Soon after Thorpe moved from Exeter, N.H., to Newton as a sophomore, he ran into Westman at the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club, and they immediately clashed.

Thorpe knew all about Westman, though the two had never met. He had heard from other players that Westman was in line to be the starting point guard at Newton North that winter.

“I said, ‘No he’s not,’ ’’ Thorpe remembered. “I gave him my best shot. I went at him.’’

That first game, the two covered each other, and Thorpe tried to prove to anyone watching, as well as himself, that he was better than Westman.

“I remember not liking him,’’ Westman said with a smile. “I thought he was a hot head and a ball hog.’’

Not only did both players make the varsity that winter, they both started and they have ever since.

After getting to know one another as teammates, they both realized they had more differences than just their styles on the court.

Thorpe is more outgoing, while Westman is reserved. Westman is more calculating, drawn more toward math and science classes, while Thorpe prefers English and likes photography.

Still, they became very close friends.

“Opposites attract, I guess,’’ Thorpe said.

Westman, a Globe All-Scholastic player in volleyball, persuaded Thorpe to join their school’s team last spring. This fall, Thorpe and Westman were supposed to make a trip to New York with the Westman family. Westman couldn’t go because of a soccer game, but Thorpe has become so close with the clan, he went anyway.

Their time spent together, both on and off the court, has made them ultimate teammates.

“You can obviously tell they’ve played together for a while,’’ said Walpole coach David St. Martin. “They’re just great basketball players. They’ve played a lot of basketball, so to stop those guys is tough. We just try to contain them as best as we can.’’

Even if a team manages to contain both, the Tigers have depth to lean on.

Newton North’s roster features seven seniors, including cocaptain Jared Masinton and 6-foot-2 center Barry Santana, who earned MVP honors when the Tigers won the Newton Holiday Tournament last month.

Connolly doesn’t have the same height as in past years - last year’s 6-foot-7 freshman standout, Aaron Falzon, transferred to St. Mark’s School - but he believes the wealth of experience on his roster will allow the Tigers to thrive.

“These guys have formed their own identity as a team,’’ Connolly said.

“The seniors have really led the way from day one. Their work ethic and diligence has been fantastic, and everyone’s just been following their lead. I’m just fortunate that these guys are really all on the same page.’’

First-game loss wakes up Clockers

In her first season as coach of the Ashland High girls’ team, Lisa Cropper was hoping to get off to a strong start. Instead, the Clockers lost to Tri-Valley League rival Holliston, 43-34.

At the time, it was an unkind reality check. But after Ashland rattled off wins in its next five games, Cropper saw that first loss as a well-timed wake-up call.

“Looking back on it,’’ Cropper said, “that was probably the best thing that could have happened to us.’’

In their five-game streak, the Clockers limited foes to just under 40 points per game, and won by an average of 28.4 points.

Their combination of size and athleticism make the Clockers a force defensively. Scoring in the paint has been especially tough for opponents, with 6-foot junior forward Gwyn Ivory and 5-foot-10 junior captain Natalie Leone altering shots.

“The girls have been fantastic,’’ said Cropper, who lives in Franklin and coaches the Franklin High field hockey team in the fall. “They’re hard-working, respectful, extremely intense and enthusiastic. They’re into it. They’ve made it really easy for me.’’

Offensively, with senior captain Blake Underhill - who scored 24 points in an 81-54 win over Norwood last week, and has accepted a scholarship to play at Manhattan College next year - the Clockers believe they have the ability to make it back to the MIAA tournament for the third straight year.

“I feel like the foundation has been set,’’ said Cropper, who took over for Dee King, now the coach at Framingham High. “The talent is there. I just need to hold the reins.’’

Here and there

On Tuesday, Arlington High senior guard Brandon Castro hit a game-winning shot with less than a minute remaining to beat Belmont, 62-57. On Dec. 20, he hit a game-winner with seven seconds left to beat Watertown, 62-60. Castro’s timely shots gave Arlington (2-2) its first two wins this season . . . Lincoln-Sudbury Regional junior forward Ashley Lutz has helped her team get back on track after starting the season 0-2. The Warriors (4-2) won their fourth straight over Weston, 46-31, as Lutz recorded 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals . . . Medway High junior Matt Ozella, the team’s 6-foot-3 point guard, had a huge double-double - 22 points, 20 rebounds - in a 52-45 win over Dover-Sherborn.

Phil Perry can be reached at paperry27@gmail.com.