As far as wins go for the Hamilton High School boys basketball team, the Big Blue is ahead of last season’s pace. That’s a positive, but likely little consolation for a team that on Friday showed potential in the first half before struggling down the stretch.

Hamilton — which led host Sycamore by as many as nine points in the first half — had no answer for the Aves’ defensive pressure and inside game during a second-half blitz that left the Big Blue dazed following a 55-36 loss. The Big Blue (2-5, 1-3 Greater Miami Conference) led 27-25 with 4:04 left in the third quarter. They didn’t score another basket for the next 9 minutes, 14 seconds.

By then the Aves (4-2, 3-1 GMC) were on their way to a dominating 30-9 run to end the game, keyed by 6-foot-6 center Mason Morgan. He came up with 16 of his game-high 23 points in the second half and had 10 rebounds.

“We told them to start the second half they’re going to turn up the pressure a little bit more,” Hamilton coach Tim Robinson said. “We didn’t handle it as well as we should have.”

Hamilton junior Christian Jones hit a jumper to give the Big Blue its final lead, 27-25. Sycamore scored the next 11 points to take control. A free throw from freshman Ryan Robinson to start the fourth quarter was all Hamilton managed until sophomore Adam Robbins dropped in a three-pointer with 2:50 left in the game. By then Sycamore had taken a 51-28 lead.

“Just have to take better shots, find the open guy,” coach Robinson said. “We got some good looks but we also took some rushed shots. We’ve got to fight through it and keep trying to get better.”

Second-chance shots were hard to come by for the Big Blue, who where outrebounded 42-20. They also turned the ball over 20 times, one more than the Aves’ 19.

The second-half struggles were a sharp turnaround to the first half, where Jones (11 points) hit three 3-pointers and freshman A’Shon Riggins (eight points) had a pair of baskets to put Hamilton in front. Varsity inexperience is no longer an excuse, Robinson said.

“Youth is out the door. We’re six games into the varsity season and two months in. That youth thing is not a reason to not be successful at this level,” he said. “We have to find ourselves as a coaching staff and as a team. We have to dig down and work hard.”