Warren’s Jackson Perdue (2) attacks the basket during Thursday’s game against Fort Frye in Vincent. (Photo by Mike Morrison)

VINCENT — A strong fourth quarter propelled the Warren Warriors to a 58-38 win Thursday evening over the visiting Fort Frye Cadets.

The Warriors scored 15 of the final 17 points in the game to pull away to the 20-point win to notch their fifth victory in their last six games.

The game seemed like anything but a 20-point win to Warren head coach Blane Maddox whose team had to battle the young Cadets all night long.

“It was a grind no doubt about it and one of those games when it’s over that you are surprised when you look up and it’s a 20-point win,” said Maddox. “I was proud of the way we battled and we finally managed to pull away there at the end.”

The two teams played nine days ago in Beverly with the Warriors winning 72-60 and the rematch took on much the same tone as the first game as Warren built an early lead only to have the Cadets stay within striking distance for much of the game.

Fort Frye’s Wyatt Duskey (10) goes up for a layup during Thursday’s game against Warren in Vincent. (Photo by Mike Morrison)

Warren jumped out to a 13-6 lead at the end of one quarter paced by eight points from sophomore Blake Grimes.

A three-pointer by senior Hudson Elzey got the second quarter off in grand fashion for the Warriors as they took their first double-digit lead of the game.

Fort Frye answered with a 9-2 run sparked by four points by sophomore Ethan Wagner and buckets by Wyatt Duskey and Ty Worthington to cut the lead to three.

Warren was able to regain some of the momentum they lost when sophomore Liam Grosselin came up with a turnover and bucket at the other end before Grimes closed out the half with a two-pointer to give Warren a 22-15 lead at the break.

Maddox felt like his team got some strong bench play in the opening half from Grosselin as well as junior Shawn Adams.

Warren’s Blake Grimes (23) makes a move with the ball as Fort Frye’s Treven Nicholson defends during Thursday’s game in Vincent. (Photo by Mike Morrison)

“I thought our bench came in tonight and did an excellent job for us,” said Maddox. “Shawn Adams came in and did some good things for us and Liam (Grosselin) did too and it was just a solid team win.”

Junior Jaxon Venham got the second half started for Warren with an old-fashioned three-point play and after back-to-back field goals from Cadet sophomore Caden Henniger, Venham converted another three-point play to allow Warren’s lead to swell to nine.

Warren was able to push the lead into double-digits several times in the third period but was never able to completely shake the Cadets who managed to cut the lead to 41-32 at the end of the third.

A two-pointer from Grady Hesson opened the final period for the Cadets and after Adams answered with a two-pointer for Warren, Kainan Bradford scored an inside bucket off of an assist from Hesson to cut the lead to seven with six and a half minutes to play in the game.

Unfortunately for the Cadets they would score only one more field goal the rest of the way as the Warriors finally managed to pull away down the stretch to secure the win.

Senior Hudson Elzey had a huge final quarter for Warren as he scored 11 points including a pair of crippling three-pointers.

“Hudson (Elzey) got hot at the right time and really carried us down the stretch,” said Maddox. “He started off hot and had cooled down a little but came up big when we needed him the most.”

Elzey connected on four of the five three-pointers the Warriors knocked down in the game compared to zero for the Cadets who missed all 10 of their attempts from behind the arc.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to get the ball to go in the hole in crucial situations,” said Fort Frye head coach Eric Henniger. “We’ve been shooting the ball well lately but just couldn’t get anything to fall tonight.”

The strong fourth quarter allowed Elzey to lead the Warriors in scoring with 17 points while Grimes added 15.

Venham and sophomore Jackson Perdue both chipped in with eight points apiece for the Warriors who improved to 7-6 on the season.

After beginning the season 6-0 before losing leading scorers Chatum Courson and Aiden Brooks to season-ending injuries, the Cadets are in a bit of a tail-spin as they have now lost six in a row.

“I thought we played hard and I thought we played pretty good defense at times,” said Henniger. “We kept hanging in there but every time we made a run it seemed like they hit a three or made an and-one and we just never could get over the hump.”

Ethan Wagner led the Cadets in scoring with 12 points while Duskey added nine.

The Cadets need a win in the worst way, not only to get things headed back in the right direction but to provide some confidence for a young squad that is learning on the job.

“We’ve just got to keep our heads up and keep battling and play a little bit better defense and a little bit better offense and maybe that will allow us to get this thing turned around,” said Henniger.

After a slow start to the season, the Warriors have seemed to find their way but still have some things to work on in the season’s final nine games before tournament play.

“That’s seven of them (wins) and we are just trying to stay above .500 but it’s a battle,” said Maddox. “We are continuing to work and adjusting well and we’ve just got to keep everybody positive and playing hard and we will be alright.”

Both teams return to action at home on Saturday with the Cadets hosting Waterford and Warren hosting Gallia Academy.