CREEKSVILLE – The Northampton-East varsity boy’s basketball team outscored Franklinton 11-2 in the third quarter en route to a 39-27 victory here Tuesday night.

Back-to-back baskets by Tamarques Pierce and a bucket by Adrian Sawyer gave East an early 6-2 lead.

Franklinton hit a trey and a bucket to take a 7-6 lead, but Jeremy Taylor’s layup put East back on top.

Keon Shoulars took a steal to the basket to end the quarter with East leading, 10-7.

The Rams pulled ahead 14-9 in the second, but a Franklinton field goal at the buzzer cut East’s lead at the half to three, 14-11.

Taylor took Pierce’s pass to the hoop to start the third quarter for the Rams.

Following a Franklinton basket, Taylor hit a three to extend the Rams lead, 19-13.

Sawyer added two baskets and a pair of free throws to give East a 25-13 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Franklinton came out strong in the final quarter, tightening up on defense.

Chad Alston hit two foul shots and Ryan Vick added a basket to cut the lead to eight, 25-17.

Pierce hit the first basket of the quarter for the Rams to put East back up by 10 with just over five minutes in the game.

Franklinton made two field goals to try and get back in the game. Sawyer and Taylor each hit a basket and Michael Corbin and Pierce made three foul shots apiece to keep the Rams out front.

With less than a minute remaining and the Rams ahead, 37-21, Franklinton hit two three-pointers, but couldn’t overcome the deficit.

East took the 39-27 victory in its first conference game.

&uot;We came out and worked hard,&uot; said Rams head coach Donald Gibbs.

&uot;We hit a few shots early and they missed a few early.

By the time they warmed up, we had built a cushion,&uot; Gibbs added.

Sawyer had 10 points for the Rams.

Pierce and Taylor had nine apiece.

In Junior Varsity action, East fell to Franklinton, 57-43.

Lamar Phillips scored 14 points and Demonte Lassiter added eight points in the loss.

Northampton (39):

Adrian Sawyer – 10, T. Pierce – 9, J. Taylor – 9, T. Mason – 4, K. M. Corbin – 3, Shoulars – 2, R. Deshazo – 2

Franklinton (27): Chad Alston – 12, R. Vick – 6, S. McKinney – 3, J. Autry – 2, M. Mann – 2, A. Cook – 2