PANTEGO — Terra Ceia topped Pungo 72-60 to complete an undefeated campaign through the Tarheel Independent Conference. The game was every bit as thrilling as one would expect after the classic between the two in Belhaven earlier in the season.

The difference came down to a challenge Knights coach Roger Klaassen laid out to his team at halftime. Terra Ceia owned a 33-29 lead at the break. Klaassen believed his team wasn’t playing its brand of basketball.

“We had a tough first half and I really laid into them,” Klaassen said. “That’s not who we are. I challenged them to be the team we are. You can see they answered the call. … Our attitude changed immediately. We told them we thought they were sluggish in the first half.”

The speech had visible effects. The Knights stormed out in the third period with a plethora of three-point plays. It started with Quentin Van Essendelft, who had 10 points in the quarter, sinking a trio of free throws after getting fouled at the arc.

Ben Hubers and Tyler Hendrix added treys of their own. Terra Ceia had built a 51-39 lead before long.

Scoring was coming from each Knight on the court, which is when the team is most comfortable. It was especially important for everyone to step up and chip in when an offensive stud like Messiah Barnes is held to just two points in the entire game.

“I’m proud of the way they play because they don’t care what’s in that scorebook,” Klaassen said. “You can see they’ll share the ball with anybody.”

However, Pungo wrapped up the quarter on an 8-0 run that featured back-to-back 3-pointers. The Raiders were, once again, trailing by just four points.

Hubers created separation again by opening the fourth with another long-range make. The Knights were back to their flashy selves when Van Essendelft connected with Hendrix on an alley-layup, extending their team’s lead to 56-49.

Chase Furlough put home back-to-back layups in the middle of a 10-0 run that gave the Knights a decisive 72-55 lead as the clock ticked down. Pungo got some free throws and a basket from Landon Adams to get the final score.

Pungo’s methodical offense ran through Landon Woolard, who finished with a team-high 17 points. Oftentimes, though, plays were finished down low by the Raiders’ forwards. They suffered offensively and defensively when bigs Logan Van Staalduienn and Noah Cahoon got in foul trouble.

Terra Ceia claimed the conference crown, but the Raiders showed fight throughout the game that defined what was a very successful season for them, too.

“(I told them) to not hang their heads. We played a good team, but they need to realize we’re a good team, too,” Adam said. “We’re hoping to see Terra Ceia again in the tournament.”

The late-season schedule has been a grind for both teams. The conference tournament begins Thursday. The Knights and Raiders now have a chance to step back and rest both mentally and physically before preparations begin.