PUYALLUP - Startlingly superb second-half performances staved off an upset bid on Saturday, February 17, and sent the third-ranked Class 4A Decatur Gators boys basketball team soaring to the state tournament for the first time since 1999.

Trailing by slim margins after each of the first two quarters, Decatur (21-2) marshaled its forces at halftime to narrowly win the third quarter before dominating the fourth quarter to grasp a 75-68 West Central District victory against youth-oriented Bellarmine Prep.

Sophomore Gator point guard Michael Hale was a steady catalyst throughout the matchup, finishing with 17 points and eight assists while keeping the Gators close against the Lions' inspired first half heroics.

Decatur's ninth consecutive win involved overcoming the 30 first-half points of Lion sophomores Avery Bradley and Abdul Gaddy. Bradley had a game-high 30 points while Gaddy was close with 26.

Bellarmine Prep (13-11) scored 11 points in a row to take a 13-2 advantage midway through the opening stanza, but the Gators responded with an 11-0 surge of their own to tie the score. Three lead exchanges and four ties later, Decatur faced its 37-34 halftime deficit.

"I really thought we were playing hard," he said. "...they (the Lions) were getting all the loose balls and the little things were going their way. At the half, I just told them that we were getting outhustled."

Marcus Tibbs and Darious Walker led the determined Decatur drive in the second half. Bellarmine Prep countered a nicely timed Hale to Walker lob pass for a dunk with eight consecutive points to assume a 45-39 lead.

Tibbs finished with 18 points as Walker notched 12 to complete a Decatur trio of double figure scorers.