It started with the stops.
Scoring had not been a problem for the Arts & Sciences boys' basketball team in the first half of its Region 3-A quarterfinal matchup Tuesday against visiting Lookout Valley. But it would take a few more defensive stops than the favored Patriots had gotten in a back-and-forth first two quarters for them to extend their season.
"We need stops!" CSAS coach Mark Dragoo implored as the Patriots took the court to begin the second half. And through the opening three minutes of the third quarter, plus the final two minutes of the game, they responded with defensive stands that resulted in a 68-62 win.
"We really needed that lift there to start the second half," Dragoo said. "We finally got some stops when we needed them, and even though we really didn't play very well, it's all about survive and advance this time of year."
The Patriots (23-5), winners of nine straight games, will face Silverdale Baptist at 6 tonight in the region semifinals at South Pittsburg. The Seahawks, who beat Sale Creek in another region quarterfinal Tuesday, are the last team to have beaten CSAS, earning a six-point home win in late January.
Coming into Tuesday the Patriots had won their last two games by 20 and 26 points. Six of their last eight wins had been by double digits.
But Lookout Valley, the fourth seed from District 6, looked inspired to pull off the upset from the beginning Tuesday.
The lead changed hands nine times in the first half, which also included six ties. The Yellow Jackets led by five midway through the second quarter before CSAS answered with a pair of 3-pointers and two offensive putbacks by junior post Todd Lansden.
"We knew at halftime we had to come out and play better defense if we wanted to keep playing," said Lansden, who finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. "They had outplayed us in the first half, but we fought back.
"This is just the first step. The door is open for us, and now we just have to keep pushing and step through to get where we want to go."
The Patriots, who have just one senior starter and one senior reserve, opened the second half with an 11-3 run and appeared to be ready to put the game away, building a 10-point lead midway through the third. But the Jackets countered with an 8-3 run and cut their deficit to one on Larry McCullough's 3-pointer to open the fourth.
But CSAS, which is unbeaten at home this season, then held Lookout Valley without a field goal for more than four minutes and scored its last 12 points on layups, putbacks and 4-of-4 free-throw shooting. Shunn Moorer led CSAS with 17 points and Josh Carter added 15, each making three 3-pointers.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.