The third scoring spree proved to be the charm for Lincoln-Way East.
The Griffins broke out to a quick 17-point lead, but the St. Anthony Bulldogs got back to within six.
LWE then built a 15-point cushion, only to see SAHS battled back to within four.
But a 15-0 run at the end of the first half and into the third quarter proved to be the knockout blow Wednesday afternoon, as the Griffins went on to post a 64-47 victory and earn a berth in the semifinals of the 8th annual Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic.
Lincoln-Way was torrid shooting the ball, especially from three-point range in the early going. They led 20-3 at one point in the opening eight minutes.
But St. Anthony refused to go away. The Bulldogs responded with a 13-2 run to close within 22-16 at the end of the first period.
The Griffins scored the first nine points of the second quarter to go up 31-16, but, again, the Bulldogs came storming back. They scored the next 11 points to get within 31-27.
LWE scored the last four points of the first half and then George Bellevue opened the second half with a three that sparked another surge. The Griffins scored the first 11 points of the third period to open a 46-27 bulge and were not threatened again.
The victory earned Lincoln-Way East a berth in the semifinal round. The Griffins were scheduled to play again Wednesday, facing Newton at 7:30 p.m. at Teutopolis High School.
LWE got 17 points from Bellevue, plus 14 from Kaiden Ross and 11 from Tylon Toliver. The Griffins shot 67 percent overall, connecting on 26-of-39 attempts. They were 18-for-21 from two-point range, a blistering 86 percent.
The Bulldogs were led by Kyle Stewart, who tallied 19 points. They were 14-for-38 overall, a 37 percent clip.
St. Anthony dropped to 8-6 on the season. The Bulldogs returned to action at 6 p.m. Wednesday, facing Cross Creek rival Teutopolis in J.H. Griffin Gymnasium.
