Spartans triumph in Catholic S. opener

After a lackluster first half, Hales Franciscan scored the first eight points of the third quarter and blew past visiting Brother Rice 63-54 in the Catholic League South opener for both teams Friday.

Trailing by a point at halftime, the Spartans (4-5, 1-0) got back-to-back three-pointers from Patrick Miller and Kenneth Rhymes and another three-pointer from Jamie Adams to take a 35-27 lead they never relinquished.

The Crusaders (1-7, 0-1) pulled to 49-44 midway through the fourth quarter, but Hales made 12 of 17 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

‘‘We talked about it at halftime and came out with a lot of intensity and turned it up a bit,’’ Spartans coach Gary London said.

Miller led the charge, taking the point on Hales’ trap press and coming up with four steals. The junior guard also scored a game-high 18 points and added six rebounds and three assists.

‘‘Coach wanted us to put pressure on their guards,’’ Miller said. ‘‘We’re a fast-paced team. We want to keep up the intensity.’’

Marcus Campbell added 14 points and four assists and Adams 13 points for the Spartans.

Tom Best led Brother Rice with 11 points and seven rebounds. Bobby Harmoning contributed 10 points, six rebounds and five assists.