Bridgeport’s Jaleel Vincent floats along the baseline for two of his 18 points as Shadyside’s Jayden Johnson (20) and Bryce Sloan (5) defend. The Bulldogs used a strong second half for a 73-61 victory Saturday inside a packed Tigers Den. (Photo by Kim North)

SHADYSIDE — A regulation high school basketball game consists of four quarters. However, there are times when just one of the 8-minute spans can determine who comes out on top.

Bridgeport and Shadyside both scored 14 points in the first quarter and 15 in the second for a 29-all deadlock at halftime Saturday inside a packed Tigers Den, but the visiting Bulldogs (12-2) used a 22-8 scoring advantage in the third panel to take a 51-37 lead on their way to a 73-61 victory as the hosts won the fourth quarter 24-22 but lost the battle.

“We needed a game like this,” stressed veteran Bridgeport head coach Donnie Cash. “It’s getting towards that time of the year where, in the tournament, we’re going to have to execute and do things right. I thought we did that, especially in the third quarter when we held them to eight points and extended our lead.”

With the win, the Bulldogs capped a 2-0 weekend and also swept the regular-season series with the Tigers for the first time since the 2020-21 season.

The score was knotted at 32 and 34 early in the third quarter, but a 9-0 run by the Bulldogs gave them the lead, 43-34, and they never let the Tigers (5-10) claw back to within range.

Junior Coen Brinker ripped off seven unanswered points as Bridgeport bumped the lead to nine, but a late flurry of points built the margin to 14, 51-37, with a quarter to play.

With junior Jaleel Vincent at the foul line for the second of a two-shot foul and the Bulldogs ahead 45-36, the junior connected for a 10-point margin. However, Shadyside was called for an intentional foul on the inbound, giving Vincent two more free tosses — which he drained — and Bridgeport possession of the ball with 10.2 on the clock. The ball went to Jaki Threet and the senior scored on a strong drive to the basket while getting fouled. He made the ensuing free throw to cap the spree.

“We had a game plan and we fulfilled it in the first half,” first-year Shadyside head coach James Edwards said. “The second half, especially the third quarter, it kind of got away from us and we just couldn’t battle all the way back.

“The Vincent kid is a great player and they have a good team, but I’m very proud of my guys for keeping on playing until the end.”

Shadyside got to within 10, 58-48, on a basket by Michael Hendershot midway through the final period, but Bridgeport used a pair of and-1s and two more free throws to build a game-best 18 point cushion at 66-48.

Bryce Sloan hit back-to-back threes down the stretch and Bridgeport’s inability to ice the game from the foul line made the game closer at the end.

Bridgeport was 17 of 19 in the second half before misfiring in its last six. The Bulldogs finished 20-for-27.

“We have to make our foul shots,” Cash said. “We missed way too many, especially at the end of the fourth quarter.”

Vincent led four Bulldogs with 10-or-more points with 18. Threet and Brinker each added 17 and junior Evan Clark had 13. Jamiel McKennen finished with eight before fouling out.

“I’ve said before that if we can get four players in double figures scoring and push the pace to where we like it, we’re going to be hard to beat,” Cash added. “Give Shadyside credit. They played us hard. (Michael) Hendershot was a handful there in the second half, but we weathered the storm and got out of here with a win.”

Bridgeport only turned the ball over seven times, five less than Shadyside. The Tigers held a 30-24 edge off the glass as Hendershot collected eight boards to go along with 17 points. Jayden Johnson had 19 points and five rebounds. Sloan chipped in 13 markers and five caroms.