CULVER - Triton coach Mark Heeter had every reason to worry about his team's first-round sectional game against the Culver Cavaliers Wednesday.

After all, his team had battled Culver in the regular season and came out on top on the strength of a big fourth quarter. Heeter was afraid that that might bring extra incentive to the Cavaliers.

He also had reason to worry since this game would be on Culver's home floor. Although Triton was considered the home team, and it was technically a neutral court, the Cavaliers had the advantage of playing and practicing on that court throughout the season.

Sure enough, Culver gave Triton all it could handle, but the Trojans won for the seventh time in their last eight games with a 68-60 come-from-behind win. Megan Sarber led five scorers in double-figures for Triton with 16 points. Jessica Kintzel added 11 points and 17 rebounds despite being in foul trouble for much of the game.

Culver came out of the gate with one thing in mind - get the ball to Darcy Stevens. She pumped up 14 shots and had 14 points in the opening half. Takesha McClane helped out the Cavalier cause with six first-quarter points off the bench as Culver jumped ahead 20-11 after one period of play.

Because of foul trouble, Chris Scott and Sarber never stepped on the floor in the second period, and Kintzel saw very limited time. With a number of bench players on the floor for the Trojans, Culver looked to put Triton away. But the Trojans opened the period with a 9-2 run and only trailed by three, 29-26, at the break.

"We went through a lot of foul trouble in the first half," Heeter said. "Our bench did a great job of keeping the game within three."

Amilia Devros, who averages 9.6 points per game, scored 10 points in the period, while Stevens was the only player to score for Culver in that quarter.

Triton looked strong at the beginning of the third quarter with Scott, Sarber and Kintzel back in the game. The Trojans went on an 8-3 spurt to take a 34-32 lead, but Grace Hurley answered with a pair of jumpers and Stevens scored on a layup to put the Cavaliers back ahead by four.

Sarber came right back with the first of her two third-quarter three-pointers, and she hit the second with just four seconds to play in the period to knot the game at 46 with eight minutes left.

In the fourth quarter, Melissa Nifong threw in a three-pointer to begin what looked to be a decisive 11-2 Triton run. Scott hit a pair of jumpers in the spurt that gave the Trojans a 59-50 lead with 1:54 to play. But then, things started getting difficult for Triton.

Culver, which had trouble making free throws all night, made six consecutive freebies and made a couple of shots to cut the lead to two points at 62-60 with 26 seconds left. However, Sarber made six straight free throws in the final 15 seconds and Culver couldn't find the shooting touch to stay close.

"I knew that if we could get them to the fourth quarter, with that style and intensity, (Culver) would get a little winded," Heeter said. "Not to mention, we had Scott, Sarber and Kintzel, who were rested in the first half."

Once again, turnovers almost spelled the downfall for the Trojans. Triton committed 27 and only forced 15. But Triton made up for it by shooting 49 percent from the floor and 86 percent from the charity stripe. Culver, on the other hand, only shot at a 35-percent clip and made just 16 of 34 (47 percent) free throws.

"We hit some free throws for once when we needed to," Heeter said. "(Culver head coach) Albert (Hanselman) had a great game plan and they were ready to play. We've been doing better on (turnovers), we've been under 20. Of course, they put a lot of defensive pressure on us."

Triton (13-8) will play South Central (8-13) on Friday at 7:30 p.m. for the right to go to the finals. South Central defeated Oregon-Davis 61-55 in the second game on Wednesday. Triton defeated South Central in the regular season 69-47. [[In-content Ad]]