PLYMOUTH | Skyler Moss had his way inside against Lew Wallace, which could come up with no answer for the 6-foot-4 Andrean senior.
Moss scored 18 points in the first half, en route to 25 overall as the 59ers ended the Hornets' season with a 71-56 win in the Plymouth Regional semifinal.
"Our interior defense was lacking," Lew Wallace coach Melvin Yancey said. "(Moss) is very difficult to defend."
The Hornets were outrebounded 40-27, giving the Niners second-chance shots that led to a 33-23 halftime lead.
Lew Wallace pulled within six points when Moss was spelled in the first half, but he returned in time to help Andrean score twice in the final minute.
"I thought that the 59ers shared the ball so well, and that helps create energy," Niners coach Carson Cunningham said. "Skyler was so strong shooting down there. He just locked in and when he plays like that, he's very good."
The Hornets shot 3-pointers to try to launch back into the game, but couldn't find a rhythm until the fourth quarter. Trevon Boddie scored 14 points, including four 3s, and was matched by Andrean's Collin Wojcik, who had 14 points, including four 3s.
Lew Wallace averaged 79.4 points per game this season, and the 56 against the Niners was the third-lowest total the Hornets have scored this season.
"We had great team defense and communication," Cunningham said. "That's a team that averages just under 80 points a game and they're the leading scoring team in the state and we did a solid job keeping them in check and sharing the ball. Wallace puts a lot of pressure on people, they're quick and crafty and strong and I was happy to see the guys handle that pressure really well."
Hornets senior Charles Cooper led all scorers with 26 points and scored eight of his team's points in the first quarter.
"We didn't execute properly on offense, we didn't get the ball inside," Yancey said. "There are certain plays that are set up for Charles Cooper, and that's part of the execution."
Nick Davidson chipped in 12 points for the Niners, who advanced to play host Plymouth for the Regional title.
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