VALLEY CITY, ND  (NewsDakota.com)  A fight to erase big leads put the Hi-Liners within 10 with the ball late in the second half.

But a conversion to put real doubt in the game proved elusive down the stretch.

Bruin leading scorer James Hamilton scored 16 of his game-high 19 in the second half, as Fargo South outlasted the Hi-Liners 69-53 at the Hi-Liner Activities Center.

Carson Eggert scored 14 to lead the Hi-Liners, with Zach Sykora adding 13.

After Sykora hit two three-pointers to start the scoring for the Hi-Liners, South responded with Dean Grant and Reis Kessel each scoring seven in the first half, slowing building a Bruin 23-10 lead.

Eggert hit two threes, and Carver Peterson cleaned up a miss for a rebound-stickback to spark a Hi-Liner 12-3 run, cutting the margin to 26-22.  It was the first run against a double-figure lead of the night for Valley City.

The Bruins widened the margin to 10 at the break, then used Hamilton’s second-half roll to take their biggest lead of the night at 48-30.  Hamilton scored eight points in the first 4:52 of the second half.

Valley City battled back.  Aiden Jacobson scored nine after the break for all of his production, and Eggert found another three, along with a three-point play on a hoop-and-harm, and a pair of foul shots in addtion.  The Hi-Liners trailed 54-44 with six minutes to play.

South found a way to finish behind seven second-half field goals from Hamilton, a key three-point play from D’Andre Watson, and Grant and Drew Shambaugh adding key threes to seal the win.

Calahan Burchill added 10 points for the Hi-Liners and showed a physical presence inside the Hi-Liners have been missing in their early games.  His willingness to match bodies inside and take some harm earned him Ivy Real Estate Group Player of the Game Honors.

Valley City welcomes Grand Forks Red River to town Tuesday night in their next action.