TULELAKE – Before the game even started, the Tulelake Honkers found themselves in a bit of a bind. Leading scorer Nick Staub (20 ppg) rolled an ankle in warm ups and was unable to play. As it turned out, it didn’t matter.

The Honkers showed they have the hearts of lions, as they overcame a double digit deficit in the first half to defeat the Etna Lions, 51-44, in their NSCIF Division-V playoff opener on Wednesday night.

The eleventh-seeded and upset minded Lions used a 17-4 run to open a 12-point lead over the sixth-seeded Honkers early in the second quarter. Trailing 8-7 with 3:12 left in the opening quarter, Erik Anaya put the Lions up 9-7, with an assist from Clint Eastlick. A steal-n-score by Brent Davis made it 11-7. Eastlick put back a rebound, 13-7. Honker Jacob Woodson temporarily interrupted the run with a put back, making it 13-10. Anaya dished to Andy Menne for a hoop to resume the Etna run, 15-10. It was Davis to Anaya to make it 17-10. An Anaya put back upped Etna’s advantage to nine points, 19-10. Tulelake scored on a nice inbound play from Zane Burrier to sophomore Adam Kandra with four seconds to go in the first quarter, leaving Etna with a 19-12 lead heading into the second frame.

Lion Junior Zavalza opened the second quarter scoring with a reverse layup, 21-12. A Davis bucket and a Menne freebie gave Etna its biggest lead of the night, 24-12.

Perhaps looking at the score and feeling they needed its star in order to win, the Tulelake staff was working to get Staub into playing shape during the Lions’ run. They didn’t need to worry. After falling behind by 12 points, the Honkers put on a display of grit and determination, going on a 12-2 run to pull within a single hoop of the Lions by halftime.

Kandra started the Honker run with a free throw, making it 24-13, with 5:37 to go in the half. Dominick Hernandez came up with a swipe and converted it into a basket, 24-15. The Lions scored via an Eastlick hoop, 26-15. Jake Walden hit for Tulelake, 26-17. Back-to-back baskets from Burrier made it a 5-point game, 26-21, with :35 on the clock. Kandra capped the run with a 3-point play the hard way, sending the teams to the locker room with Etna leading 26-24.

Etna still led by a single hoop, 37-35, at the end of three quarters.

The fourth quarter didn’t exactly start with an offensive explosion. Jarom Hiett hit a turn-around jumper to up Etna’s advantage to 39-35, with over a minute already off the clock. With just under five minutes left in the game, Eastlick made a pair from the charity stripe, 41-35. Etna would not score again, until Davis hit a cosmetic 3-pointer as time expired.

While Etna was looking for the “O,” the Honkers went on tear in the final five minutes, scoring 16 straight points. Kandra scored to start the push to victory, 41-37. A Woodson put back made it 41-39. Walden hit a trey to give Tulelake the lead, 42-41, with 3:00 to go. Woodson scored, 44-41. Then, Walden iced it with a 3-ball from the parking lot, making it 47-41, with 33 ticks on the clock. The Honkers went on to win, 51-44.

Adam Kandra led all scorers with 14 points. Jake Walden and Jacob Woodson put up 12 points a piece for the Honkers. Tulelake was 5/18 from the line.

Clint Eastlick led Etna with 13 points. Brent Davis had 9 points. Etna made 5 of 16 free throws.

Tulelake (21-6) travels to Redding on Friday to take on the 3^rd seed, the Liberty Christian Patriots (19-7). The Patriots blew away the Los Molinos Bulldogs in their first round game, 78-43.

Etna finished its season with a record of 12-14.