JACKSONVILLE — The LaFayette boys basketball team is still alive after an emphatic 99-71 win over North Sands on Friday night.

“Anytime that you can get a W, it’s great to be able to advance,” LaFayette boys head basketball coach Obadiah Threadgill said. “Their defense intensity has really picked up and unlike a couple of nights ago, their attention to detail was really good. I’m excited for these guys, and I want to keep it going. I don’t want anything to stand in the way of what their destiny is. If we keep working and we keep believing in ourselves, then there is going to be some gold at the end of the rainbow.”

The Bulldogs (28-4) began the game with a 9-2 run in the high-scoring affair before North Sands responded. 47 total points were scored by both teams by the 6:44 mark in the second quarter.

“We valued the basketball,” Threadgill said. “We shot it well. Anytime we can get a big game out of our freshman [center Antavious Woody], it’s going to be tough to beat us.” 

Woody finished with a game-leading 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in 21 minutes of play. Junior Matavais Burton added in a double-double with 11 points, 10 assists and 5 steals in 25 minutes. The Bulldogs finished with 22 assists compared to North Sand’s 13 total team assists on the night.

“We have not been in the 20s for assists all season,” Threadgill said. “In the last five or six games, we’ve been sharing the ball well. They’ve already been playing well, but to see them make the extra pass and feed the big guy when he has it going is huge. 

“The guys have been doing a little bit more without the ball. Spreading the ball, setting screens, those are things that I challenged them to do. They took a little bit of coaching and they’re allowing us to mold their game, they’re allowing us to do things that we could not do if they were selfish or hard-headed.”

Twelve LaFayette players scored in the playoff victory including Corey Boston, Markevious Moore, Jordan Wallace, Jordan Walker, Keandrae Peterson, Jadarious Crim, JaQuavian Boston-Gaines, Mekevion Shealey, Xavier Holloway and Jematheus Reese. 

The team now advances to the Elite 8 to face Sacred Heart Catholic School on Tuesday night at 9:15 p.m. EST. at Jacksonville State University.