GASTON Liberty Christians Ronny Williams drove hard to the bucket, but his layup rolled off the rim. Fortunately, his teammate Dallas Burko was there to clean up the offensive rebound and put it right back in for two.

But the Lions werent done hustling. As Cowan brought the ball up the court, Williams sprinted over to the Blackhawks ballhandler, poking the ball loose just before halfcourt, diving on the floor, scooping up the ball and calling timeout seemingly all in one motion.

This series of plays with 3:20 left in the fourth quarter was a microcosm of the effort displayed by Liberty Christian on Friday night in its sectional semifinal matchup against Cowan; each play kept the Blackhawks at bay and kept the Lions lead at a comfortable margin.

Liberty Christian advanced to Saturdays sectional final against host Wes-Del, taking care of Cowan, 63-46.

You know what? That second and third quarter, I really didnt feel like we were bringing it, Liberty Christian head coach Jason Chappell said. And (Cowan was) getting some offensive rebounds, but finally, they stepped it up in that span and really, I think, turned the tide of the game.

Despite their coachs dissatisfaction at some points, the game never really was in doubt for the Lions (11-14), who took a 5-3 lead just 1:24 into the ballgame and never was tied or trailed again. Liberty Christian led by eight points at the end of the first quarter (17-9) and took 11-point leads into halftime (30-19) and into the fourth quarter (43-32).

The main challenge for the Lions, particularly on defense, was trying to figure out a way to stop Cowan guard Shea Ingles.

Ingles, who is generously listed at 5-foot-9 in the sectional program, came into the contest as the Blackhawks leading scorer at 17.5 points per game and showed exactly why, displaying no fear as he pulled up from all over the court including from the volleyball line on a few occasions

Cowan, which ends its 2016-17 season with a 7-15 record, works hard on the offensive end without the ball to get Ingles free, Chappell said, and the senior poured in a game-high 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 4-for-8 from 3-point land. He also had a game-best six assists.

They did a good job of screening; we didnt do a very good job of hedging. And so its a combination, Chappell said of the challenge of guarding a slippery player like Ingles. We were satisfied with letting him shoot from the volleyball line, but he hit some big shots, you know? Thats the last game of his career, and kids like that, theyre going to step up, and he had a big night.

Four Lions reached double digits on the scoresheet, led by Williams, who had 21 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while also adding three assists and four steals. He was joined by Burko, who had 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, Trajan Dixon, who had 12 points and nine boards, and Isiah Brees, who had 10 points.

After Tuesdays sectional-opening win over Southern Wells, Chappell alluded to the fact that Burko has turned from a role player into a player. He said the same of Brees on Friday night.

Just like Burko, hes becoming a player. Hes turning from a role player into a player. And weve got some guys stepping up, you know? Chappell said. Some guys didnt have their effort tonight, but some guys stepped up for them. Thats what a team does. Everyones not going to have their best game every night, and so if weve got to take turns, Im OK with that.

Liberty Christian (11-14), playing for its sixth straight sectional title, takes on the host Warriors (17-7) in Saturdays sectional title game. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Richard E. Johnson Gymnasium.

They have a couple good athletes, and theyre in their own gym. So thats a huge advantage, Chappell said. They bring a really good crowd. Theyve had a lot of success this year, and winning ballgames is good for the soul, so well see. It should be a good time tomorrow.

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Liberty Christian drops Cowan; advances to sectional title game - The Herald Bulletin