By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

A strong finish powered the Callaway Cavaliers to a hard-earned 63-51 victory over the visiting Greenville Patriots on Friday night.

It was the continuation of a busy opening week for the Cavaliers, who host the Newnan Cougars on Saturday for their fifth game in six days.

Since losing to LaGrange 75-71 in its opener on Monday, Callaway has won three in a row, and it can finish the week with a 4-1 record with a victory on Saturday.

The Patriots made the Cavaliers work for it in Friday’s game.

Callaway had a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but with less than three minutes to play the score was tied at 49-49.

Jacob Freeman broke the deadlock when he pulled down an offensive rebound and scored, giving the Cavaliers a 51-49 lead with 2:50 to play.

Moments later after a Greenville turnover, Antinez Blount had a break-away dunk, and Callaway went on to score 10 consecutive points to put it away.

“You could see the legs were a little tired, but I was proud of them,” said Callaway head coach Terry Hayes.

Blount had a big night for the Cavaliers with 18 points, including seven points in the fourth quarter.

Demetrius Coleman added 16 points, with nine of those points coming in the first quarter, and JaVontay Boddie scored nine points.

Freeman and Duke Simpson each scored six points.

Boddie, a junior guard who helped the Cavaliers reach the state quarterfinals last season, said there’s no secret to the team’s success.

“We just come in work hard, do what coach tells us what to do,” Boddie said. “When it’s game time, we implement it, and we go with the flow.”

The Cavaliers got off to a quick start, taking a 20-10 lead when Coleman hit two free throws in the final second of the first quarter.

The Patriots got as close as six points in the second quarter, but a Blount shot at the halftime buzzer gave the Cavaliers a 38-27 lead.

The Cavaliers stretched the lead to 13 points in the third quarter, but the Patriots hung in there and cut the deficit to 44-37 heading to the final quarter.

The Patriots continued their surge in the fourth quarter and they pulled even with three minutes remaining before the Cavaliers finally put it away.

On Thursday, Callaway improved to 2-0 in Region 5-AA with a 78-56 road win over Lamar County.

Coleman led the Cavaliers with 26 points, and Blount added 17 points. Coleman and Blount each scored eight points in the first quarter to help the Cavaliers build a 22-16 lead.

The Cavaliers led 41-28 after two quarters, and they continued to pull away in the second half.