Lanierland: North Hall boys hold on to beat Johnson

GAINESVILLE -- North Hall built an 18-point third quarter lead but then had to hang on in the final minutes to take a 60-52 win over Johnson Thursday in the first round of the boys Lanierland basketball tournament.

The Trojans (3-1) next will take on defending Lanierland champion West Hall next Thursday in the semifinals. West Hall advanced with a 56-53 win over Lakeview Academy in the other quarterfinal game.

North Hall never trailed in the game and opened with a 13-6 run. But Johnson closed out the first quarter with a 5-0 spurt to pull within 13-11. The Knights would never get closer.

The Trojans exploded in the first four minutes of the second quarter using a 14-7 run to take a 27-18 lead. They used a 7-2 run over the final two minutes to push the lead 34-24 by halftime. Turnovers plagued the Knights in the first half. Johnson had 12 turnovers in the first 16 minutes of the game, which led to 16 North Hall points.

North Hall appeared to have blown the game open in the first four minutes of the third quarter with an 11-3 run and a 45-27 advantage. But the Knightsâ

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