But that was only until Amy Zondor and Ashley Plumley showed the Slicers why there's a fourth quarter.

Zondor scored a team-high 13 points and Plumley finished with a game-high six steals as the Bulldogs went on a 19-0 run in the second half and routed the LaPorte Slicers, 65-45, in Duneland Athletic Conference action.

"We always do well for three quarters," LaPorte coach Greg Samuelson said. ''I don't know that we had a real bad quarter. It's just that against a well-disciplined team like (CP), you can't afford any letdown."

Crown Point (12-5, 5-1) was up by eight after the first quarter, but the Slicers (5-12, 2-4) came back with an 8-2 run in the third to tie the game at 38.

"We had them in a situation where, 19 down, if they didn't keep playing hard, it could've been 50 points," said Bulldogs' coach Tom May. "As it was, it became a two- or four-point game at one point. That's a good indication whatever their staff is doing is causing their team to play hard even when there's a lot of adversity going for them on the floor. I was really impressed with that.

"We told our kids, 'You have to keep executing because this isn't a bad basketball team.' "

The Bulldogs got into foul trouble early, putting the Slicers in the bonus with 2:59 left in the third. All seven LaPorte fourth-quarter points were free throws.

"We got some buckets from it, and I wanted us to take advantage of that," Samuelson said, "to take the drive and try to get a few more fouls and get us to the line a few more times or at least get the shot off with the foul."

The Slicers held Alex Webster to 12 points and Carissa Triplett to 10.

"It's usually Alex (Webster) and Carissa (Triplett) scoring," Plumley said. "But everyone was motivated because it's our last (home) game with the seniors."

Crown Point's highest first-half lead was 15 before the Slicers came storming back.

"I think when we get up, there's a time where we get relaxed, and they come back and get us," Plumley said. "And then once they finally come back, we finally realize that we've got to get back in the game and start working hard again."

LAPORTE (45)
Mandy Masterson 5 0-0 15, Rachel Griffin 0 2-3 2, Aimee Menne 1 6-8 8, Jenny Meegan 0 0-2 0, Abby Prast 0 0-0 0, Megan Marovich 0 0-0 0, Ashley Harrow 1 0-0 2, Kayte Mebust 3 4-4 10, Abby Anderson 0 0-0 0, Katie Beckman 0 4-4 4, Kristen Dickey 0 2-2 2, Candice Link 1 0-0 2. Totals -- 11 18-25 45.

CROWN POINT (65)
Ashley Plumley 3 0-0 7, Cassie Pruzin 3 0-0 7, Alex Webster 3 5-6 12, Danielle Brueck 0 1-2 1, Amy Zondor 5 0-0 13, Blayre Reeves 2 3-3 7, Stephanie Swanson 1 0-0 2, Allison Isailovich 1 0-0 2, Keri Cuculich 2 0-0 4, Janel Heneghan 0 0-0 0, Kathleen Fredericks 0 0-0 0, Jill Weiand 0 0-0 0, Lauren Rhodes 0 0-0 0, Carissa Triplett 5 0-0 10, Katlyn Sertich 0 0-0 0. Totals -- 25 9-11 65.

SCORING BY QUARTERS
LaPorte 11 17 10 7 -- 45
Crown Point 19 17 14 15 -- 65
3-point field goals: Masterson 5 (L); Zondor 3, Plumley 1, Pruzin 1, Webster 1 (CP). Rebound leaders: Beckman 9 (L); Cuculich 5 (CP). Assist leaders: Menne 3 (L); Cuculich 4, Pruzin 4 (CP). Steal leaders: Beckman 4 (L); Plumley 6 (CP). Team fouls: LaPorte 7, Crown Point 20. Fouled out: None. JV score: Crown Point 38, LaPorte 19.