MIDDLEBURY — Cheick Diakite rushed for 243 yards and scored three touchdowns and the Brattleboro Colonels topped the Middlebury Tigers 28-13 on Friday night on Doc Collins Field.

After Middlebury took a 7-0 lead into halftime the Colonels dominated the second half, scoring 28 unanswered points to build a 28-7 fourth quarter lead.  After Diakite finished off a Bratt drive with a three yard run to tie the game, linebacker Conor Hiner picked off a Middlebury pass and returned it 25 yards to pay dirt a minute and a half later as the visitors took the lead for good.

Then  following Matt Gaboriault’s second end zone interception of the night early in the fourth, the Colonels marched up field on a 13 play 96 yard drive which Diakite finished off on a 27 yard TD run. The powerful back then capped his night with a 33 yard run to the end zone with 2:25 left to play.

It was a painful loss for the Tigers, who lost their first regular season game since 2012. Middlebury turned the ball over five times, scoring only on a three yard first quarter run by quarterback Andrew Gleason and a 69 yard late fourth gallop by reserve back Dustin Davio.

The win improves Brattleboro’s record to 1-2. Middlebury is 2-1.