“We came out flat defensively and spent the rest of the game playing catch-up,” Golden Tornadoes coach Joe Supple said. “We’ve been a team of runs all season long. We tied it twice, but we just couldn’t get over the hump. They executed better than we did down the stretch.”

It’s the second straight season Lawrence earned the No. 1 seed in Class A and lost in the quarterfinals. Senior Randy Wallace had 16 points and 16 rebounds, and senior Clifton Lyerly added 11 points.

“We’ve been as good as any team in the county for two years,” Supple said. “But if you don’t bring your ‘A’ game in the playoffs, you end up going home earlier than you want.”

South Side came out firing on all cylinders. It sank eight of its first 11 shots, including three-pointers from Flaherty and Pandolfi, and led 18-7 after six minutes. Lawrence closed the opening quarter on a five-point run, but five different Cyclones scored in the second quarter and they held a 37-26 advantage at halftime.

The Golden Tornadoes picked up the pace in the third quarter and slowly chipped away at the deficit. They brought it within 45-42 entering the fourth, and it wasn’t long before they drew even. The game was deadlocked twice — at 47 with 6:30 remaining, and also at 51 with 4:27 to go. South Side led for good after Pandolfi’s two free throws with just over four minutes left.

“We’ve had our ups and downs this season, but this is obviously a big win and a big step for us,” D’Angelo said.