For the second straight game, fifth-ranked Lake Clifton fell behind early only to raise its intensity level and use its height advantage to emerge victorious.
Paris Carter scored 10 of his 14 points during the decisive third quarter, and 6-foot-8 teammate Kyle Garrison scored nine of his 13 points also in the third quarter of yesterday's 61-40 victory at Baltimore City League rival Southern.
Lake Clifton 6-7 forward Tavon Nelson scored 10 points and had a team-high seven rebounds for the Lakers (2-1 overall, 2-0 league). Damien Wilder added nine of his 14 points in the second half. Lake Clifton turned a 21-20 halftime lead into a 45-29 advantage heading into the fourth period.
"In the second half, we just step it up a notch. I guess we're a second-half team," said Garrison. "In the second half, I was open a lot more and more into the flow of the game."
Despite returning just one starter and having one senior who, at 6-2, is its tallest player, Southern (0-2) led 16-13 after one quarter and trailed by a point at the half. Jarrell Green (eight points) and Reginald Holmes (10) led the Bulldogs.
"We expect a dogfight when you come to Southern," Nelson said. "And they came out and really gave us one in the first half."
But after 6-2 senior Sheldon Walker (seven rebounds) got into foul trouble, the taller Lakers took over.
"Without Sheldon, we kind of lack experience. That slowed the pace of our game," said first-year coach Michael Wise, a longtime assistant to Meredith Smith.
"We played hard enough to get out and run on them and we were limiting their second shots, giving us more chances at the basket."
Carter, who grabbed five rebounds, made an impact with his perimeter shooting for the second straight game. In Tuesday's victory over ninth-ranked Dunbar, his four three-pointers keyed a third-quarter run. Yesterday, the Lakers outscored the Bulldogs 24-9 in the third quarter.
Southern, which also lost to highly ranked Randallstown, faces defending 3A state champ Douglass today.
"It's a tough schedule," Wise said. "But you'd better get us now, because we'll get better as the season goes on."