GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — After narrowly avoiding an upset in the quarterfinal round of the Sec. II, Class D tournament, two-seeded North Warren Central needed a stronger showing in the semifinals if it wanted to reach the sectional championship game. Well, head coach James Cuyler got that and then some out of his team Thursday night at Cool Insuring Arena.

The Cougars played a complete game on both ends of the floor in their 61-38 win over third-seeded Argyle to earn a spot in the title game. They shot 52% from the floor, and their 61 points were the second-most scored by a team in their section this postseason. On top of that, North Warren held the Scots to a season-low scoring output.

North Warren used the long ball to jump on Argyle early. Senior Sean Evans and seventh grader Semaj Cuyler connected on back-to-back triples midway through the first quarter, giving the Cougars a 13-6 edge.

Argyle managed to stick around, though, in the opening frame. Junior Brandon Saunders poured in a three-pointer of his own from the top of the key with just seconds remaining in the first, cutting the Scots’ deficit to three points at 17-14.

But North Warren took off in the second frame. It took all of 1:34 for the Cougars to extend their lead back to seven points when Evans scored a lay-up on a fast break off a sweet assist from Cuyler.

North Warren went on to outscore Argyle 17-9 in the second quarter, and took an 11-point lead into the locker room at halftime.

That margin would only grow in the second half. The Cougars recorded a 19-8 third quarter to go up 53-31 ahead of the final stanza. They cruised to finish line from there, securing the 61-38 victory.

Leading the scoring efforts for the Cougars was junior Derrick Tyrell, who netted a game-high 20 points on 9-13 shooting. Clark shot 8-13 from floor, en route to an 18-point outing.

Junior Dru Austin topped the scorebook for Argyle, recording 11 points.

North Warren Central advances to take on top-seeded Northville for a shot at a section title. The Cougars likely won’t need any extra motivation for that game; the Falcons knocked them out of the playoffs in last year’s semifinal round. Opening tip-off from Cool Insuring Arena Saturday is set for 7:00 p.m. The game was originally scheduled to start at 11:00 p.m., but has since been pushed back due to an impending winter storm.

Argyle concludes its’ season with a 13-9 overall record.