LAUREL HILL — A slow start by Laurel Hill School’s boys basketball team in the District 1-1A quarterfinal game was not indicative of things to come.
The Hoboes trailed Ponce de Leon 14-9 at the end of the first quarter, but their offense had yet to wake up. The final three quarters belonged to Laurel Hill.
When the final horn sounded four Hoboes had scored in double figures and Laurel Hill had a 71-62 win.
Laurel Hilll-Ponce de Leon boys basketball photos>>>
The Hoboes will face Malone at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the tournament semifinals at Laurel Hill.
Bryson Cooper led all scorers with 20 points to pace the Laurel Hill attack. Chris Saylor had 18 points on four 3-pointers. Tee Calloway and Max Smith scored 13 points and 12 points respectively.
“The kids executed the game plan real well,” Laurel Hill coach Kent Zessin said. “They played us tough twice. I subbed a little bit in the end (and the Pirates climbed back in the game).
“But a win is a win. Everybody got to play and we all had fun.”
The Hoboes (18-8) broke the game open early in the second quarter with a 13-0 run.
Calloway got things started with a layup off a Pirate turnover. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Saylor and Cooper were followed by an old fashioned 3-point play by Cooper. Smith closed the run with a score inside the paint with 4:28 left in the half to put Laurel Hill up 22-14.
PDL broke the Laurel Hill run on a pair of free throws by Zach Johnson.
Laurel Hill capped the first half with a Saylor three to go up 27-19 at the break.
The Hoboes continued to stretch the lead throughout the second half.
Laurel Hill’s biggest lead of the game was 70-48 with 1:48 left in the game. The Pirates (10-15) closed with a rush hitting four 3-pointers in the final 97 seconds of play to close to within nine at the buzzer.
“Our goal is to play them one at a time,” Zessin said. “We have potential to go (to the finals). We just have to work hard in practice to give us another shot.”.
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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hoboes win distict tournament opener (PHOTOS, VIDEO)