ROBERSONVILLE — Southside and Southeast Halifax were tied six apiece early in the first quarter. Once the Lady Seahawks took the lead, they never looked back in a 52-38 win.

Michaela Dixon set up an easy layup for Precious Gaynor that tied the game. Danielle and Symone Ruffin found their way onto the score sheet, too, and another layup by Gaynor punctuated an 8-0 Southside run to end the first. It gave the Lady Seahawks a 12-6 lead after eight minutes.

Unlike in its first game, Southside didn’t take its foot off the gas in the fourth. Southeast Halifax didn’t get a field goal until the three-minute mark of the period, and the Lady Seahawks dropped a dozen points to shut the door.

“That’s what we talked about. In the beginning of the fourth quarter, I said it was 0-0,” coach Milton Ruffin said. “I told them to treat the fourth quarter like it was the beginning of the game. They played all four quarters.”

With that, Southside wrapped up the South Creek Holiday Tournament with wins in both its games

“That’s a big confidence booster for us,” Ruffin said. “That was a good team there. We put the pressure on them and we sustained the pressure. That’s what I wanted them to do — get there, stay focused, and sustain the pressure for a long time.”

The Lady Trojans came as close as six points in the second thanks to a point-blank basket by Tanera Shields, who carried her side throughout the game. Once Southside’s lead was trimmed to two possessions, Hannah Paramore hauled in a rebound and put it back up for a layup. Danielle Ruffin poured in four straight of her own to push the Lady Seahawks’ lead to 22-10 with 4:10 left in the first half.

Southside took a 26-19 lead into halftime.

It wasn’t until late in the third that the Lady Seahawks were able to create some meaningful separation. A layup by Shields cut Southside’s lead to 29-21, but a quick 3-pointer by Gaynor then a layup extended the advantage to double digits again.

Southside took a 40-26 advantage into the fourth, and closed out strong.

“We don’t have any quit,” Ruffin said of what he’s learned during the tournament. “When we were up, we were able to keep our focus. That was my main focus coming in. I think they started to figure out that if they work as a team, and they work hard, good things happen.”

Next up, Southside travels to Pamlico County on Jan. 4 for its 1-A Coastal Plains opener.