MERRY HILL – One word: monumental.

That would sufficiently describe the outcome of the boy’s basketball game here at Lawrence Academy Tuesday night. With a final score of 65-55, the current roster of boys from Northeast Academy saw their first victory in any sports on Lawrence soil.

&uot;That was the first time this group of boys has won a game at Lawrence in any sport,&uot; Northeast head coach John Brown said, &uot;It’s a big win to get over that hurdle.&uot;

Getting over that hurdle wasn’t easy as the Eagles (12-2, 6-1) had to survive a scare from the upstart Warriors.

Lawrence trailed just 28-25 at the intermission and grabbed a 3130 advantage midway through the third period thanks to a 5-0 run in which Judd Whitehead scored all five points.

NEA answered quickly, rolling off the next five baskets, interrupted by only a free throw from Jobie Thomas.

Four different Eagles scored during the spurt as Buddy Duke, Brian McLean, Lance Jenkins and Tyler Davis each scored.

The result was a 40-32 advantage from which the Eagles never looked back.

&uot;I was pleased with our overall performance,&uot; first-year Lawrence skipper Robert Kravitz said. &uot;I keep saying it, but we have played the last five or six games the way we should have been playing all season. We are making progress and I’m pleased with that.&uot;

The game got off to a good start for the Eagles as they began the first quarter with a nine-point run. Buddy Duke made the first basket, followed by Barry Barrett.

Duke scored again a few seconds later and made the free throw on the foul, then Barrett put up another one to bring the score to 9-0.

Andrew Barber got things started for the Warriors halfway through the first quarter by laying one up and making his foul shot.

Judd Whitehead also made his two shots from the charity stripe and cut Lawrence’s deficit to four (9-5).

Eagles’ senior Drew Pinnix answered by shooting a trey before the teams traded baskets when Lawrence’s Barber and Jenkins from Northeast each made deuces, making it 14-7 in favor of the Eagles.

The Warriors came back with Joe Griesidieck hitting a shot. The Eagles’ Jenkins made a free throw and Lawrence returned with Barber and Chad Simmons making consecutive baskets, bringing the Warriors to within two (15-13).

Northeast carried the last minute of the quarter with Tyler Davis hitting a bucket, Rich Edwards sinking his two free throws and a triple from almost half-court with four seconds left on the clock.

The score at the end of the quarter was 22-13.

Barber from Lawrence started the second quarter by making a three-pointer followed by a basket and brought the score to 22-18.

Eagles’ Jenkins and Barrett hit back-to-back buckets and Lawrence’s Whitehead scored one free throw, then he and junior Jobie Thomas scored a basket each a minute later, slicing the Eagles’ advantage to one (26-25).

Will McLawhorn from Northeast scored the last two points of the second quarter by making both of his one-plus-one shots, and at halftime the score was 28-25.

&uot;We got in foul trouble in the second quarter and that hurt us,&uot; Brown said. &uot;It’s the first time all year Buddy has gotten in foul trouble and when we take him off the floor, it hurts us.

&uot;We got into so much trouble with fouls, we had to change to a zone defense and we don’t move well enough in a zone to play it effectively,&uot; he continued. &uot;Lawrence did a good job of exploiting that with Judd and Andrew cutting to the basket and giving us a lot of trouble.&uot;

The Eagles travel to Pungo Christian Academy Friday while the Warriors will make the trek to Terra Ceia Christian School.

Northeast (65): Rich Edwards – 17, Buddy Duke – 13, Brian McLean – 11, T. Davis – 9, L. Jenkins – 8, D. Pinnix – 3, B. Barrett – 2, W. McLawhorn – 2

Lawrence (55): Judd Whitehead – 20, Andrew Barber – 18, C. Simmons – 8, J. Thomas – 5, J. Griesidieck – 4