Paul VI started strong with a 12-2 run behind a balanced effort that saw four different players enter the scoring column in the opening minutes before Lake Highlands chipped away to trail 18-11 at the end of the first quarter.
Lake Highlands opened the second period with four straight and ended with six consecutive points to trim Paul VI's halftime lead to 29-26. The Wildcats'
Tre Johnson led all first-half scorers with 10 points and finished with a team-high 18 points on 6-of-23 from the field.
Paul VI extended its lead to 46-34 entering the final quarter as Hammond sparked the Panthers' second-half push, scoring 16 of his team-high 21 points over the final 16 minutes.
Paul VI point guard Ben Hammond dishes out the assist to his teammate. (Photo: Pete Wright)
Lake Highlands opened up the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run, ignited by eight points from Johnson who hit a 3-pointer from the left wing before knocking down a floater in the lane and a 3-pointer from the top of the key to cut the deficit to 48-46 with five minutes remaining.
The teams traded blows down the stretch as
Isaiah Abraham converted a tough layup over multiple defenders to put Paul VI up 50-46 before Lake Highlands responded with a mid-range shot on the other end.
A corner 3-pointer from Lake Highlands reserve
Chidi Umeh gave Lake Highlands its first lead 51-50 with three minutes left, but Ben Hammond responded on the other end to give the Panthers the lead back at 53-51.
A
Samson Aletan layup tied things at 54 before an Abraham mid-range shot gave Paul VI the lead. Hammond then made a pair of game-changing plays as the point guard finished a layup to put the Panthers up by four points before converting an and-one to give Paul VI a 60-55 advantage following a mid-range shot from Washington on the other end.
A fast-break dunk from Abraham put an exclamation point on the win with under 30 seconds to go.
Freshman guard
Jordan Smith and four-star junior Abraham each provided sparks off the bench for Paul VI as Smith finished with six points and nine rebounds, while Abraham chipped in 14 points on 6-of-7 from the field.
Freshman Jordan Smith provided a spark off the bench for Paul VI, contributing six points and nine rebounds. (Photo: Pete Wright)
Ben Hammond rises for two of his 21 points to lead No. 4 Paul VI over No. 15 Lake Highlands. (Photo: Pete Wright)
