With 3:46 to play in the opening quarter, the game was tied 6-6. But over the following nine minutes, Effingham went on a 16-2 scoring run that produced a lead it never relinquished.

Cannon Bockhorn knocked down a three-pointer and Ethan Jones added a pair of free throws after grabbing an offensive rebound and getting fouled. Jones made three more free throws and KJ Kellams added a bucket following a Taylorville turnover to give EHS a 16-8 lead after the first eight minutes.

Hayden Wendling came off the bench to score four points and Nolan Fearday added another bucket to increase the Hearts advantage to 22-8 with 2:48 left in the first half.

“We talked about roles before the game,” Farmer noted. “We have shooters, we have attackers and we have post players. We talked about the importance of filling those roles. I thought the guys attacked the basket and were much more aggressive night.”

After building that 14-point spread, however, scoring became much more of a challenge. The Hearts managed just 17 more points over the final 18½ minutes, but managed to hold on for the win.

Their active 3-2 zone was a factor. The Tornadoes had difficulty, especially in the first half, attacking that zone. They turned the ball over 12 times, made only five shots and trailed 23-13 at intermission.

“We want our zone to control the tempo and limit possessions,” Farmer explained. “The kids have bought in and are playing that zone well. They’re working hard at it. We think that gives us a chance to win.”

But it didn’t come easy.

Both teams had difficulty scoring in the second half. The Hearts made just 4-of-15 attempts, which gave the Tornadoes a chance to rally.

Three-pointers by Jake McConnell and Dillon Clark got Taylorville to within 31-26 heading into the final eight minutes.

Bockhorn hit a jumper and Jones added a pair of three throws to expand the EHS lead to eight, 35-27, at the 5:11 mark. But the Hearts managed just four more free throws the rest of the way.

Clark, who scored 12 of his game-high 16 points in the second half, had six of those in the fourth period, including a bucket to make it 37-33 and another to get THS within 38-35 with 28 seconds still remaining. But Fearday made a free throw with 14 seconds left to secure the victory.

“I thought we played much better down the stretch than we did a week ago,” Farmer said. “We handled the ball much better, stayed composed and made decent decisions. Plus, we got 110 percent effort from the guys tonight. All of those things helped us come away with the four-point win.”

Bockhorn paced the Hearts with 14 points and Jones added nine. EHS shot 26 percent overall, making 10-of-39 attempts. They were 4-for-16 from long range and 15-for-23 from the line. Effingham was out-rebounded 30-22, but forced 18 total turnovers.

The Hearts, now 2-4 on the season, will play Saturday at Marion.