With Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference implications at stake, Ravenscroft came up big in round one of its home-and-home series against Cary Academy.

The visiting Ravens held off an inspired Chargers’ surge at the beginning of the second half Friday night to defeat Cary Academy 69-51, which gave Ravenscroft sole possession of first place in the Triangle Independent Schools Athletic Conference.

Despite the final score, the win didn’t come easy for the Ravens.

Trailing 36-23 at the half, the Chargers went on a 12-4 run to begin the third quarter, chopping the lead to five with 3:44 remaining in the period.

But in the quarter’s final three minutes, Ravenscroft limited the Chargers to one point, steadily building its lead back up to 17.

The Chargers got no closer than 12 the rest of the way, and the Ravens took a commanding lead in the race for the TISAC title.

“We were playing a little tentative, but toward the end of the third quarter and in the fourth quarter, we turned it up,” said Ravenscroft coach Kevin Billerman. “We were much more assertive with the ball.”

Ryan Kelley, Ravenscroft’s 6-foot-10 junior, led the Ravens with 26 points.

But Kelley wasn’t the only Raven who posed problems for Cary Academy. Ravenscroft features four players 6-7 or taller, including three who are 6-10 or 6-11.

“It’s kind of like going to a gun fight with a knife,” Cary Academy coach Randy Jordan said.

The Chargers, however, had a scheme to combat the Ravens’ height. Jordan said the game plan was to pressure the perimeter, cut off passing lanes and force the outside shot.

“Probably 85 percent of the time, it worked, so I can’t be upset,” Jordan said. “We made a decision and we had to give up something.”

Problem was, when the perimeter defense didn’t work, it proved costly for the Chargers.

In the first three minutes of the game, Ravenscroft’s Casey Stephenson knocked down three 3-pointers and Sean Billerman added a fourth by the first quarter’s end.

“We gave up five 3-pointers early and that gave them the lead they wanted early,” Jordan said. “We just had that lull early where we didn’t defend well on the perimeter.”

Jordan made a change to start the second half, as the Chargers switched from a 2-3 zone to a man-to-man pressure defense.

“And that seemed to help us increase our intensity,” Jordan said. “[But] we expended so much energy to get it back to six, and Ravenscroft is well-coached, well-disciplined and talented. They’re a top-five team in the state and they proved it by answering our run.”

Cary Academy can answer Friday when it travels to Ravenscroft for a rematch.

“They’re a good team. We proved we could play with them and that should prove big for Friday,” said CA’s Nick Debnam. Despite the tough loss, Jordan was pleased with the resiliency of the Chargers.

To have won just four games last season to being only one game back of the conference lead this season tells a lot about the Chargers’ story.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our guys,” Jordan said. “They never quit.”