Lakota West used second-quarter runs to blow open a close game and win the LaRosa’s Royal 8 Hardwood Classic title on Monday night.

Malik Grove scored 21 points and Ali Barnes had 17 as the Firebirds (10-4) knocked off Withrow 69-56 at Fairfield High School.

Lakota West used an 11-4 run to start the second quarter and a 5-0 run to end the half to grab a 35-25 lead after the two squads had been tied at 12-12 after the first eight minutes.

Withrow got as close as six twice in the third quarter, but Tyler Bowling answered both times down low for the Firebirds to start runs and push the lead back to double figures.

Bowling finished with 13 points and Tyler Williams had 11 for West.

St. Xavier 54, Fairfield 38

The Bombers opened the second half with a 13-2 run to extend a one-point halftime lead on their way to a 54-38 win over the Indians in the third-palce game.

St. Xavier held Fairfield to just seven points in the third.

“We did some very good things in the second quarter,” Fairfield coach Tim Austing said after his squad fell to 9-6 overall. “The problem we had both nights (Sunday and Monday) was both teams were physically bigger and stronger than us and eventually it wore us out.”

Fairfield was able to get as close as eight on four straight points by John Boyle, but the Bombers pushed the lead to 12 heading into the final eight minutes and Fairfield was never able to make a run.

“Our margin of error is not really that big when we play teams that good,” Austing said. “It is hard for us to counter. In the first half, we were doing a lot of what we wanted to do, scoring off turnovers and stops, but they didn’t let us do that in the second half. We had to play a half court game, and that is what they wanted.”

Herman Brunis, who scored back-to-back baskets during a 10-0 run to close the second quarter, led the Indians with 16 points.