The Gray Collegiate Academy boys basketball team defeated May River High School 78-50 on Thursday to advance to the state quarterfinals.

The War Eagles (19-7) held the Sharks (16-7) to just 21 points in the first half to build a comfortable lead that it never surrendered.

“Way better than the last game, but we missed a couple of layups,” Gray head coach Carlos Powell said. “But I’m pleased with how we played defensively.”

Gray took an early ten-point thanks to an emphatic dunk by forward Levi Ball. The War Eagles led 18-12 after the first quarter.

May River struggled to find consistency on offense in the second quarter. The Sharks scored just 11 points in the period, all by forward Will Bostwick and guard Gage Duncan.

Back-to-back layups from guard Cameron Arthur and Ball late in the first half stretched Gray’s lead out to 19, forcing the Sharks to call timeout. The War Eagles took a 40-21 advantage into the locker room at halftime.

“We wanted to dominate the paint,” Powell said. “We knew we were going to be longer than them, bigger than them, maybe even stronger than them.”

Ball was a standout for the War Eagles in the second quarter, as he scored eight points. Guard L.J. Britt posted six points, while Arthur added four.

“They’re playing basketball like they’ve been playing,” Powell said. “They’re all-region caliber players, all-state players, they’re just doing their jobs.”

May River slowly chipped away at Gray’s lead in the third quarter.

A Bostwick three-pointer cut the deficit to nine with 90 seconds remaining. But the War Eagles responded with an 11-0 run after several costly turnovers by the Sharks.

A dunk from guard TyQuan McDuffie helped Gray build a 58-38 advantage with one quarter to go.

“We pride ourselves on what we do in the offseason when we’re not practicing,” Powell said. “We stayed in the weight room and just did the little things.”

The fourth quarter saw the War Eagles’ dominance continue. An alley-oop from Britt to guard Hunter McGraw made it a 27-point game with five minutes left.

Three War Eagles scored four points in the fourth quarter, including guard Jayden Rowe, helping Gray clinch the 78-50 win.

“Jayden Rowe was due for a good one,” Powell said. “Levi Ball as well. L.J.’s been playing lights-out, along with TyQuan.”

Gray will travel to face North Augusta (24-1) on Tuesday for the third game between the two teams this season.

The War Eagles handed North Augusta its only loss of the season in a 55-51 home win on Jan. 28. The Yellow Jackets won the other matchup, a 60-50 win on Dec. 17.