Millbrook survives furious Southern Durham rally to advance to Graham semifinals

RALEIGH – Although Raleigh Millbrook was outscored in each of the final three periods by Southern Durham in the Devonte Graham quarterfinal Tuesday night, the Wildcats still won the game, 70-63.

It was a 25-5 first quarter that did the trick for the Wildcats, who advanced to the Graham semifinals to face Farmville Central Thursday at 8 p.m.

Colt Langdon got going early on for the Wildcats, showcasing his versatility on the floor but Gabe Cerda started to take over, as he was incredibly efficient from the floor for 15 first-half points. Millbrook’s play helped them get out to a 35-17 halftime lead.

Southern Durham started to chip away little by little in the second half, with sophomore Jackson Keith leading the charge and being more of a force. The lead started to trickle away, eventually getting to 10 points with a minute to go in the third quarter and eventually got it under double digits by the end of the third quarter.

Southern Durham continued to pick away at the lead point by point in the fourth quarter, getting it down to as few as six points midway through the period. But Millbrook was just too much in the end, as they were able to withhold the run from Southern Durham and win on Day 1.