Hamilton Christian had the style of game it wanted, but Ruston took control with a third-quarter run and iced the game with perfect free-throw shooting in the fourth quarter of its 50-46 win in the second round of the Hamilton Showdown in the Lake tournament.

Ruston advanced to face the Madison Prep-Ouachita winner in today’s semifinals. Hamilton Christian (1-1) will play the loser of that game in a consolation game.

Neither team led by more than four points in the first half, which ended in a 23-23 deadlock. Garrett Humphery carried the Warriors in the first quarter, scoring 11 of the team’s 14 points as the Warriors took a three-point lead.

Ruston (8-0) stormed back in the second quarter, using a 12-5 run to take a four-point lead. A Hamilton basket by Malachi Evans and a pair of free throws by Bryson Colbert tied the score.

“We controlled the tempo. I think they wanted to get out and run,” Hamilton head coach Dexter Washington said.

The score was tied at 29-29 when Ruston went on an 11-3 run to take the lead for good. Joran Parker started the outburst with a jumper, answered a Humphery 3-pointer with one of his own and closed the run with a fast-break basket that gave the Bearcats a 40-32, their largest lead.

Hamilton twice got within three in the fourth quarter, but Ruston went 10-for-10 from the free-throw line to preserve the win.

Humphery finished with 17 points while Colbert added 16. Braylan McNeal led Ruston with 12 points. Parker added 10, including six free throws in the fourth quarter.

Washington said the outcome won’t stop his team from growing.

“To lose to Ruston in the second round with a brand-new team still looking for an identity, I will live with that loss,” he said. “They are a 5A team that was in the quarterfinals last year,” Washington said of Ruston.

“Malachi played well,” he continued. “I’m satisfied. They are a tough team to guard with they way they shoot the ball. We got Garrett going, he was shooting it well. We are going to have another tough opponent tomorrow and we will compete. We can’t do anything but get better. These games will do that for us.”