Eleven three-pointers, including seven in a big second half, powered the Dunwoody Wildcats to a 53-41 Region 4-6A win over the Lakeside Vikings on Tuesday night at Lakeside.

The big second half barrage from behind the three-point arc helped the Wildcats (7-12, 2-6) earn a split in the regular season series with the Vikings (8-13, 1-7) after dropping a 55-44 decision at home in December.

A back-and-forth first half ended in a 25-25 tie after Dunwoody’s Emerson Mitchell was fouled just before the halftime buzzer as he attempted a shot near midcourt, and he sank all three free throws to knot the game.

Phillip Ryan got the Wildcats going in the third quarter with a drive for a layup and then Whitfield Hyde hit back-to-back threes on assists from Mitchell to give Dunwoody a 33-25 lead.

Zayd Muhammad answered with a three of his own for the Vikings only to have Eli Merritt hit his second trey of the game and Ryan added two free throws to propel the Wildcats in front 38-28 with 2:46 to play in the third quarter.

Cameron Funna’s layup and a free throw from Shaan Fritz cut the lead back to seven at 38-31 with 1:08 remaining in the period.

Hyde responded with his fourth three of the night and Isaiah Hicks hit a three with five seconds to go to send the Wildcats into the final quarter of play up 44-33.

Noah Libowsky opened the fourth quarter hitting a three from the right corner and drawing a foul. He hit the free throw to complete a four-point play for a 48-33 lead for the Wildcats.

Keonte Gibbs hit a three for the Vikings and Libowsky answered with his second three and 11th of the night for the Wildcats for a 51-36 advantage.

Gibbs added a free throw for the Vikings and Sam Shapiro had a put back to pull Lakeside within 51-39 with 3:08 to play. The two teams managed one basket each the rest of the way for the final of 53-41.

Whitfield Hyde finished with 16 points (4 three-pointers) for Dunwoody while teammates Emerson Mitchell and Philip Ryan hit for nine points each.

Dunwoody got nine points and nine rebounds from Ahmari Henson and eight points from Zayd Muhammad in the game.

(G) Lakeside 62, Dunwoody 18
Freshman Gabriella Benjamin scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds in the first quarter as the Lakeside Lady Vikings ran out to a 20-3 lead on the way to a 62-18 home Region 4-6A victory in the night’s opening game at Lakeside.

With the Lady Vikings (14-5, 6-2) leading 12-3 with 3:32 left in the opening quarter, Benjamin would score the next eight points on a pull up in the lane, a three-pointer and a three-point play to extend the lead to 20-3 heading into the second quarter.

Lakeside held the Lady Wildcats (0-20, 0-8) to just two second quarter points on the way to a 37-5 halftime lead. Benjamin scored seven points, including a second three-pointer of the game, in the second period and Ngazi Ndukwe scored four points in the final minute of the half for Lakeside.

Seven different Vikings scored in the third period including threes by Sybil Thomas and Benjamin to pull out to a 55-13 advantage. Grace Brinson had five points in the period for Dunwoody as she hit a jumper and a three-pointer.

Lakeside scored the first five points of the fourth quarter before Brinson hit another three as the Vikings cruised to the finish for the 62-18 final.

Benjamin’s 24 points and eight rebounds led the way in the win as nine different Vikings scored in the game. Claire Van Horn and Sara Adelkunle added eight points apiece and Ngazi Ndukwe had five points and nine rebounds.

Grace Brinson finished with nine points (2 threes) and Amari Michael scored eight for Dunwoody.