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By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

The LaGrange Grangers had their hands full with New Hampstead in the opening round of the Class AAAA state tournament.

New Hampstead, which won the Region 3-AAAA championship to earn home-court advantage in the state tournament, started quickly and never looked back on the way to an 81-43 victory on Wednesday.

Javon Brown, one of the seniors playing his final game, led the Grangers with 18 points.

While disappointed to see the season come to a close, LaGrange head coach Mark Veal was proud of what his players accomplished.

“They were resilient, they played hard, and overcame a lot and made it to the state tournament,” Veal said. “That’s something the seniors will always remember.”

New Hampstead surged to a 17-4 lead, and it was ahead 28-8 after the first quarter.

LaGrange settled into the game and played better in the second quarter, but New Hampstead had a 46-22 lead at the half.

DeAndre Smart led New Hampstead with 19 points.