WATERFORD, Ohio — A slow start canceled out by a strong finish puts the Tornadoes back over .500 on the season.

The Southern boys basketball team was held to just 17 first half points Tuesday night in a Tri-Valley Conference Hocking Division match up with Waterford. The Purple and Gold rallied back to score 40 points in the second half and took the 57-46 victory in Washington County.

The Wildcats (4-6, 2-5 TVC Hocking) began the game with a 14-to-6 run to end the opening stanza. SHS (7-6, 5-4) answered back with an 11-to-7 spurt in the second period that cut the Waterford to just four points at halftime.

The Tornadoes came out of the half with a new intensity, out scoring WHS 16-to-6 in the third period and grabbing the 33-26 lead headed into the finale. Southern scored 24 points over the final eight minutes of play to seal off the 57-46 triumph.

Tristen Wolfe and Adam Pape led the Tornadoes with 20 points apiece in the game. Taylor McNickle and Casey Pickens each tallied six points, while Chandler Drummer rounded out the SHS scoring with five points.

Pape was responsible for all four of Southern’s three-pointers on the night, while Wolfe finished with a game-high eight assists. Wolfe, Pape and Pickens each pulled down five rebounds to lead Southern. The Tornadoes shot 7-of-12 (58.3 percent) from the charity stripe and 23-of-34 (67.6 percent) from the field including 4-of-8 (50 percent) from beyond the arc.

Waterford was led by Austin Shriver with 19 points including one three-pointer and Eli Strahler with 11 points including a trio of three-pointers. Wyatt Porter finished with seven points, Cody Paxton and Joe Pugh each had three, Brian Moore notched two and Austin Bauerbach finished with one for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats shot 10-of-15 (66.7 percent) from the free throw line, 16-of-51 (31.4 percent) from the field and 4-of-20 (20 percent) from three-point range.

Southern out rebounded Waterford 24-to-23 but committed seven more turnovers than the Wildcats.

Southern also defeat WHS on December 12th in Racine by the count of 59-33.