It was an imperfect start for the Volcano Vista boys basketball team, but its perfect season is still alive.
The second-seeded Hawks (26-0) pulled away to beat No. 15 Organ Mountain 74-41 Saturday at Volcano Vista High School in the first round of the Class 5A State Basketball Tournament.
Organ Mountain took an early 11-8 lead as the Hawks struggled slightly in the first half of the first quarter.
“We were fine, “ Volcano Vista head coach Greg Brown said. “I mean, we’re not a perfect team, so we can’t play perfectly every possession. We hung in there and got going. I was proud of our guys.”
An acrobatic layup by Oscar McCoy got the fans in the gym on their feet and seemed to spark Volcano Vista.
The Hawks closed the first quarter on a 9-0 scoring run, and the rout was on.
McCoy got a steal and fed Jaden Malone for an easy layup to give the Hawks a 24-14 lead with three minutes left in the first half. McCoy closed the half with another steal and went the length of the court for a layup to put the Hawks ahead 45-23 just before the halftime buzzer.
“He was Oscar; he’s our engine,” Brown said. “ We have seven seniors this year, and they all play a big part. Oscar for sure does a lot for us; he got us going. He’s our point guard, and we followed his lead tonight.”
Volcano Vista led by as many as 37 points in the second half before resting most of its starters in the fourth quarter.
Ja’Kwon Hill scored 23 points for the Hawks, and Malone added 14.
No. 2 Volcano Vista will host No. Carlsbad, which upset Rio Rancho Saturday, in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
