Straughn outscored Pleasant Home 23-5 in the third period en route to a 70-46 victory over the Eagles on Monday on the Tigers’ senior night.

Leading 32-27 at halftime, SHS made a quick adjustment by forcing PHS to the edge with solid post play. The adjustment gave several players the opportunity to get some action on the hardwood.

“They came out in the third quarter and took care of business the way they were supposed to,” SHS coach Rusty Andrews said.

The Tigers struggled a little bit early, and had trouble keeping up with the Eagles’ up tempo in the first half.

PHS used its quick-footed guard play in the first period to take an early lead, and then went on a 7-0 run to close out the second before the break.

Eagles coach Bradley Stephens said he was surprised at how the team came out to play in the third.

“The third quarter we came out flat,” Stephens said. “I didn’t think we would. We just didn’t execute. In the first half, we took shots we knew we could take. We penetrated and pulled up jumpers.

“We didn’t do that in the third quarter,” he said. “We quit.”

Eighth-ranked Straughn finished the regular season 17-4, and plays Opp Friday in the first round of the Class 3A, Area 2 tournament.

PHS falls to 8-18, and travels to Geneva County, where it plays Kinston in the first round.

Straughn’s Brice Scott got the scoring going in the third with a jumper.

JD Driver, a senior, got an over-under and then made a layin to give SHS a 38-29 lead.

Teammate and fell senior Devin Scott made two foul shots, during which PHS was assessed a technical foul to give Driver two more free buckets. The Tigers led 42-29.

Driver converted under the basket for an easy two, and Scott got a steal and passed to Rollin Kinsaul, who converted on the steal.

Pleasant Home broke up the party when Eagles guard Troy Fantroy dished in a layup off a steal to bring the score to 46-31.

Straughn’s Nick Stepp, who is a senior and recently returned to action from an injury he suffered during football season, got an old-fashioned 3-point play to turn it 49-31 with 1:26 left in the third.

Scott then followed that up with two good drives to the basket for a 53-31 lead.

Stephens said his team had a hard time defending last night.

“Straughn did a great job,” he said. “Their ball movement is unreal. They do a great job of moving the ball. It’s fast.”

To end the slaughter that was the third period, bench player and senior guard JC Ray got in a jumper at the buzzer to give his Tigers a 55-32 lead going into the fourth.

With a comfortable lead, Andrews put in the other players who don’t get to have much playing time. They took advantage of the opportunity, just like late in the first half.

Ray made two foul shots, and Fuller Myrick got in a few buckets from the paint to help the effort.

Tucker Lawless got in a putback and later made a 3-pointer for a 22-14 lead in the second period.

Pleasant Home’s Garret Barton then found Zachery Roberts for an easy lay in. Alex Myrick later got a putback to make it 28-20.

Chase Gunter made a trey, Jon Cole Chesser got a drive to the bucket and Fantroy made a jumper to spark the 7-0 run.

Straughn’s Marshall Farley then got a drive to make it a 5-point game at the half.

The Eagles took a 3-0 lead early in the first, and led 7-5 after Chesser got in a putback.

Scott led SHS with 18 points. Driver chipped in 14. Myrick had eight points; Farley had seven; Devin Scott had five; and Ray had six.

Fantroy led PHS with 19 points. Gunter chased in 13.

In B-team action, Straughn won 42-13 to finish its season 10-4. PHS finished 10-7.