ASHLAND - The Fulton Hornets didn't wilt under the circumstances.
Despite watching a 13-point halftime lead disappear in the fourth quarter, No. 3 seed Fulton ended the game on a 10-3 run to pull out a 70-64 triumph over No. 6 Harrisburg late Tuesday night in the first round of the Southern Boone Classic.
"We've been in a lot of close games this season and the kids know what to do in those situations," Fulton head coach Ryan Shaw said Wednesday afternoon. "They weren't uncomfortable down the stretch."
The Hornets owned a 54-49 lead heading to the fourth quarter, but Harrisburg responded with an 11-6 run to go in front. Senior Bryan Bolton's basket put the Bulldogs on top 61-60.
Fulton regained the lead on its next possession when senior guard Ricky Dawson scored, but senior Drew Ewens buried a 3-pointer on Harrisburg's ensuing trip down the floor to give the Bulldogs a 64-62 edge.
Dawson responded again with a basket to tie the game, then scored on a putback with about a minute left to put the Hornets in front for good at 66-64. Junior forward D'Angelo Walker extended Fulton's lead on a layup and senior forward Devin Gibson clinched the victory when he scored off an offensive rebound in the final seconds.
The Hornets - getting back on track after a pair of humbling road losses to state-ranked foes Helias and Moberly - raised their season record to 11-6. With girls' play postponed Wednesday at Southern Boone because of the weather, Fulton's semifinal matchup against No. 2 seed California has been pushed back to 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Leading 25-19 after one quarter Tuesday night, the Hornets outscored Harrisburg 19-12 in the second quarter to open up a 44-31 edge at the break.
"We had better energy and better effort than we did against Helias or Moberly," Shaw said. "We were able to create some turnovers with our (defensive) pressure."
Senior guard Austin Wilson, who has been dealing with bruised ribs, connected for 18 points to guide Fulton, which shot 50 percent (31-of-62) as a team. Dawson finished with 16 points and Gibson had 11. Wilson also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to steer the Hornets to a 40-28 advantage on the boards.
Ewens, who made seven 3-pointers, tallied a game-high 27 points for Harrisburg, which outscored Fulton 18-10 in the third quarter to shave its deficit to five points. Bolton ended up with 15 points as the Bulldogs shot 42 percent (22-of-53) from the field.
"Harrisburg has a hard-nosed program and a lot of tradition," Shaw said. "They're well-coached."
California - ranked No. 7 in Class 3 - advanced to Friday night's semifinal game by holding off No. 7 seed Linn 53-49 in first-round play earlier Tuesday night.
"California is physical and athletic; they execute and don't turn the ball over," Shaw said. "They're not flashy, they're solid. They can beat you in a lot of ways.
"(Defensively), we have to stop dribble penetration, challenge their 3-point shooters and rebound. (Offensively), we have to adjust to whatever they're doing on defense."
Meanwhile, the No. 2 seed Fulton Lady Hornets will square off against No. 3 Harrisburg in the consolation semifinals at 4:30 p.m. today. Fulton was knocked off by No. 7 seed Southern Boone 50-43 in the first round Monday night, while Harrisburg was surprised by No. 6 Blair Oaks 70-59.