FREEPORT - For three quarters, they looked sloppy, unfocused and very giving.

But, oh that fourth quarter.

Trailing by 12 points early in the final period, the Freeport boys basketball team roared to a 15-0 run, wresting the momentum and the game away from Springdale for a 54-50 win in the second game of its holiday tournament Monday.

"Definitely, in the first half, we just weren't playing up to our potential," said Freeport coach Mike Beale. "(In the fourth quarter) a lot of people stepped up and played extremely well."

Freeport (5-4) dug an early hole for itself when Springdale (6-5) built an eight-point lead at the end of the first half with an aggressive, but controlled, attack.

The advantage was 12 after a layup by Mario Camerotar just 20 seconds into the fourth quarter, but Springdale didn't score again for five minutes.

During that time, the Yellowjackets turned up their intensity and transformed the game into the out-of-control, frenetic pace it had wanted all along.

"In the fourth quarter, we let them play the way they want to play," said Springdale coach Brian Gaetano. "That's my fault. I didn't prepare them for that situation. They like to play something out of control, but it really isn't. As soon as we let them do that, we lost control of the game."

Brian Zimmerman enjoyed a huge fourth quarter for Freeport, scoring eight of his 12 points in the final frame.

Brady Sherrieb hit two free throws with seven seconds left to give Freeport a four-point lead. Springdale didn't get another shot off.

"It was nice for (Sherrieb) to be in that position and come through," Beale said. "He's only a sophomore and he's getting better every day. He's our floor leader. He makes us go."

Chris Plocki scored 13 points and Nate Kotecki pitched in 11 more points for the Yellowjackets.

Nick Rutkowski had success on the boards for Freeport, pulling down 13 rebounds, including eight the final quarter.

Freeport will face Knoch, which had an easier time dispatching Leechburg.

The Knights fired 29 shots from behind the 3-point line and made nine of them, with Ryan Ziacik landing the biggest flurry to open up the game in the second quarter as Knoch cruised to a 65-48 win.

Ziacik hit five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points. He hit three in a row at the end of the second quarter to help turn a six-point game into a 15-point Knoch lead.

"That's how the 3 had changed the game," said Knoch coach Les Shoop.

The 3-pointer was a big part of the Knights' arsenal because Leechburg was determined it wouldn't allow Ryan Hollihan and Jordan Shoop to beat it.

Hollihan was double-teamed in the post and Shoop was hounded every time he touchdown the basketball.

That left the perimeter open and Knoch took full advantage of it.

"That was smart on their part," Les Shoop said. "They had a good game plan."

Knoch (8-1) led by as many as 29 midway through the fourth quarter.

Jordan Shoop finished with 13 points and Scott Muska added 11 as the Knights enjoyed balanced scoring.

Even Hollihan got in the act, scoring seven points and adding 13 rebounds.

Coach Shoop was most pleased with his defense, which held one of the more explosive offensive teams in the WPIAL to just 48 points.

Leechburg (5-4) came into the game averaging 69.6 points per contest and had four players averaging in double digits.

Nick Matviko scored 16 points and Nate Whittinger 12 for Leechburg.

"They are a good offensive team," Shoop said. "There are going to be nights when you're not going to be able to score. Defense is what you want to be consistent. We've held a lot of good offensive teams down."

LEECHBURG 48

Nate Whittinger 4-12 4-4 12, Andy Tressler 3-11 3-3 9, Nick Matviko 6-21 1-4 16, Steve Predebon 2-6 1-2 5, Pat Mitch 0-3 3-6 3, Jean Candanedo 1-2 0-0 2, Mike Strapec 0-1 1-2 1. Totals: 16-56 13-21 48

KNOCH 65

Jordan Shoop 5-12 1-1 13, Ryan Hollihan 3-6 1-2 7, Ryan Ziacik 6-13 0-0 17, Scott Muska 3-16 3-4 11, Eric Czech 3-4 1-2 7, Curtis Compton 1-2 0-1 2, Tim Hickey 0-2 0-0 0, Rob Briggs 1-1 0-0 2, Joel Berger 0-0 0-0 0, Paul Hawcheck 0-1 0-0 0, Alex Whistler 1-1 0-0 2, Bill Elliott 1-2 0-0 2, David Rickard 0-1 2-2 2. Totals: 24-61 8-12 65

3-point goals:

Matviko 3, Ziacik 5, Shoop 2, Muska 2

Tonight:

Knoch vs. Freeport

SPRINGDALE 50

Mario Camerotar 3-8 2-4 8, Cory Winwood 3-5 0-1 7, Jesse Shepherd 2-5 0-0 5, Nick Gentile 3-8 0-1 8, Trevor Herr 6-9 0-0 13, Nathan Zurisko 2-4 2-4 6, Mitch Modolo 1-1 1-2 3. Totals: 20-40 5-12 50

FREEPORT 54

Nate Kotecki 4-9 2-2 11, Brad Naedele 1-4 0-0 2, Brian Zimmerman 4-9 4-5 12, Chris Plocki 6-16 0-0 13, Carl Bowser 0-1 0-0 0, Nick Rutkoski 2-4 2-3 6, Brady Sherrieb 3-10 4-6 10. Totals: 20-54 12-16 54

3-point goals:

Winwood, Shepherd, Gentile 2, Herr, Plocki, Kotecki

Tonight:

Freeport vs. Knoch