TURNER — With two of Winslow's top six players sidelined due to injury Tuesday night, Leavitt knew most of the Black Raiders' offense would pass through junior guard Trevor Lovely's hands.

Knowing it was one thing. Stopping it, entirely another.

Lovely erupted for 31 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter to seal Winslow's 70-52 KVAC Class B victory.

Missing sophomore standout Justin Martin and junior sixth man Brandon Deas after an opening-night loss to preseason favorite Oceanside, Winslow never trailed after the first two minutes.

"I'm really proud of the way our kids stepped up without two key players," said Winslow coach Jared Browne, in the second year at his alma mater after previously guiding the Oak Hill program. "Trevor had a typical Trevor game. We ask him to do what he can, and he had a very good shooting night."

Senior captain Austin Ireland did his part to make up for the missing pieces in the paint, racking up 15 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots.

Connor Wildes added eight points and five steals while doing solid defensive work on Leavitt's Andrew Middleton, who concluded with 19 points and 18 boards.

"We weren't supposed to leave Lovely and he has 31 points. Our defense was supposed to be focused on trying to limit him, and we didn't do a very good job of it," Leavitt coach Mike Hathaway said. "He's shooting 10 to 15-foot pull-ups in transition and burying them. That's pretty good for high school."

Both teams are 1-1. Leavitt edged Lincoln in a cold-shooting contest on opening night.

The Hornets weren't much more efficient in the encore, hitting at a 19-for-78 (24 percent) clip.

Aside from Middleton, a 6-foot-5 junior, Matt Powell and Isaiah Calder both provided eight points off the bench. Levi Morin chipped in seven points and eight rebounds.

"We didn't put the ball in the basket in the first half. Our scoring has been all over the place after (Middleton), so we've got to find some guys who will step up and put the ball in the basket," Hathaway said. "You can't give up 70 and expect to win, either."

Winslow used a 20-4 run connecting the first and second periods to snag a 32-17 halftime lead.

The Hornets rallied when Middleton and Isaiah Magee hit 3-pointers and Calder knocked down a baseline jumper to make it 39-32 with 3:08 left in the third.

Lovely lowered the boom on any comeback aspirations with two free throws and a traditional 3-point play.

Ireland also scored two baskets down low in the final two minutes of the period, restoring the Black Raiders' big lead at 48-33.

"Leavitt made that run in the middle of the third quarter, and Trevor picked those guys up during the timeout and got two quick ones and the and-one to get us going," Browne said.

Winslow employed a box-and-one with Wildes glued to Middleton in the fourth.

"Their guards are very good," Hathaway said. "They're very quick, and they defended better than we did."

koakes@sunjournal.com