Luverne went on a 18-6 run to start the second half and the Tigers beat Dale County 82-50 in the semifinals of the 47th annual Andalusia Invitational Basketball Tournament on Friday night.

The Warriors and LHS stayed close from the start, but the Tigers’ size and athleticism won out in the end.

Six-foot-eight guard Donta’ Hall made three consecutive blocks on the defensive end for Luverne in the first period, while adding some dunks to pace the Tigers in the win.

LHS led 27-14 after the first period, and took a 45-29 lead to halftime.

With about three minutes left in the third period, the Tigers were leading the Warriors 63-31.

Luverne’s DeAnthony Rutledge led the Tigers with 18 points. Hall and Quez Watkins had 12 points each. Quindarious Thagard chipped in 13 points, and Uriah Brown made 10 points.

Luverne advances to the tournament’s championship, where it will face Elba tonight at 7:30. EHS beat tournament host Andalusia 64-47 last night. DCHS plays AHS at 6 tonight for a shot at third place.

The Tigers stuck to their inside game in the first period for some points and it worked. Senior point guard Preston Sankey found either Hall or Brown for a couple easy buckets, and even made some shots himself.

DCHS didn’t have an answer for Thagard, who drove the lane to give LHS a 12-6 lead with more than five minutes left in the first.

The Warriors came back later in the first after Trey McMillian got his 3-pointer to go to cue it to 19-14.

However, Thagard found Johnathan Chambers for an easy bucket for a 21-14 lead.

Dale County’s Jeffery Whatley finished a 7-2 run for the Warriors in the second period, but the Tigers kept the lead.

After the 18-6 run in the third period, the Warriors cut the lead to 69-41 going into the fourth.

LHS led 73-41 before a running clock was started.

McMillian led DCHS with 11 points.