It wasn’t a picture-perfect start for Episcopal Collegiate, but once the Wildcats got going there wasn’t much Paris could do to stop them.
Kelvin Robinson scored 16 points and Mahlon Martin finished with 14 as Episcopal opened up defense of its state title with a 66-35 victory in the first round of the Class 3A boys basketball state tournament Tuesday night at Cossatot River High School.
Episcopal (24-5), winners of its past 17 games, hasn’t lost to a team in its classification since the 2012-2013 season. The Wildcats’ last loss was to University Lab of Baton Rouge on Dec. 31.
Cori Gooseberry added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Episcopal, which will play Cossatot River or Flippen at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
The Wildcats got off to a slow start and found themselves in an 8-2 hole after a jumper by Paris guard Gage Hampton, but Episcopal closed out the first quarter with a 15-1 run to take over the game. Paris missed its final eight shots of the quarter and never looked completely in sync for the remainder of the game.
Episcopal stretched its lead to 21 late in the second quarter and led 37-18 going into halftime. The Wildcats continued to pour it on in the second half and at one point connected on eight consecutive shots during a 16-2 third-quarter run. Allie Freeman’s free throw with 34 seconds left in the quarter to give Episcopal a 60-26 lead, which signaled a running clock during the fourth quarter.
Matthew Fitzurls scored 11 points to lead Paris (23-9), which shot 13 of 37. Episcopal finished 23 of 39 from the field and dominated the glass 30-13.