As the third coach at Talawanda in three years last year, Bobby Lipps was just trying to give the program some stability, and so he viewed his team’s seven-win season as an overachievement. The Braves entered this season with higher expectations but have struggled during the first half of the season while waiting for that one breakthrough moment to turn things around.

And the third quarter of their game at Edgewood on Friday night may have been exactly that.

Talawanda exploded out of the break, using a 31-2 run to blow open a close game en route to a 51-33 victory.

“I think the kids are capable of that. We’re 2-8, but we’ve been in every game,” Lipps said. “Hopefully this can be a [springboard].”

Senior forward Colton Adams posted 15 points and six rebounds for Talawanda, which won for the first time since mid-December thanks to its third-quarter sprint. Trailing 15-12 with four minutes left in the first half, the Braves scored the game’s next 25 points thanks to stifling defense and red-hot outside shooting.

The key, Adams said, was Lipps’ intense halftime speech. The message?

“If you ever want to play again, you’ve got to play now,” Adams said. “Coach challenged us.”

Edgewood (1-9) started well, controlling the pace and limiting Talawanda’s larger frontcourt of Adams and 6-4 wingman Austin Davidson (four blocks, four steals). But the Cougars, who were led by senior forward Cody Hall’s 11 points, couldn’t respond to the Braves’ second-half surge. Edgewood is back in action Tuesday at home against Wilmington.