Seabury boys rout St. Paul, 70-45

? Sophomore Khadre Lane exploded for 35 points and Seabury Academy’s boy’s basketball team got one step closer to the Class 1A-Division I state tournament Thursday night with a 70-45 sub-state victory over tournament host St. Paul.

Despite the lopsided final, Seahawks coach Ashley Battles said his team came out lethargic in the first half. Seabury (11-10) only held a 26-17 halftime advantage before it got rolling in the second half.

“We finally stepped out,” Battles said of the third quarter, “and we were who we are.”

As the Seahawks expected, with their height, St. Paul played zone defense. It just took some time for Seabury to adjust after Thomas Diaz got in foul trouble in the first half. Plus, the team was without Jesse May, who broke his nose and suffered a concussion Feb. 21.

“We just kind of calmed down,” Battles said of the second half, “and became more patient and just played as a team instead of going out and just trying to score on our own.”

Lane’s “smart, aggressive” approach, the coach said, led to his big night, while senior forward Georgi Funtarov scored 17 points. The win advanced Seabury on to a 7:30 p.m. Saturday sub-state final against Waverly (17-3) at St. Paul.

Battles said the Seahawks won’t be able to come out sluggish again, with a spot at state on the line.

“We just have to be focused and ready to go from the tip,” Battles said.