Demopolis rode the strength of a 20-point second quarter to take a 52-45 home win over Thomasville Tuesday night.

DHS trailed 17-12 at the end of the first period of play before putting on a shooting clinic in the second quarter.

Demopolis outscored Thomasville 20-5 in the game’s second frame, capping the run with a buzzer-beating three-pointer from sophomore Dantrayle Wheeler to push the halftime lead to 32-22.

“We took it to them. We attacked the basket and got what we wanted, got some of their kids in foul trouble,” DHS head coach Jesse Bell said.

However, the second half told an entirely different tale as Thomasville’s defense dictated the pace of the third quarter to put the visiting Tigers down 38-37 entering the game’s final quarter.

“We missed some easy shots,” Bell said of his team’s second-half struggles. “We didn’t convert. We threw the ball away a couple times.”

His team slowed the tempo in the fourth quarter, holding the ball for extended intervals and running down the game clock.

“We tried to take some air out of the ball because our kids were tired,” Bell said of the team’s fourth-quarter strategy.

Despite the deliberate pace, Demopolis posted 17 points in the fourth quarter to put the finishing touches on the victory.

“We played pretty good in the fourth quarter,” Bell said.

Senior Jonathan Marshall led Demopolis with 15 points. Jeremy Wallace added 11 while Anthony Hardy finished with 10.

Tevin Pope had 14 points for Thomasville while Jamarcus Blackmon added 12.

After the game, Bell was complementary of the efforts of junior Larry Cobb.

“Larry stepped up big for us and got some key rebounds and blocked shots for us,” Bell said of the junior who played through an injury Tuesday night. “He’s hurt, but he’s still out there getting after it.”

Bell also focused on the play of Wallace.

“He’s growing up. He’s beginning to listen more,” Bell said. “He made some good baskets and got some good assists. He’s playing consistently these last seven ball games.”

Bell’s team is in the midst of a stretch in which they are playing nine games in 13 days. To offset the scheduling, Bell said the Tigers will not practice again until Tuesday.

Demopolis returns to competition Thursday night when it hosts Sunshine. The night will also serve as senior night for the both the boys and girls teams.