North Central junior Riley Cretens attempts a shot against Mid Peninsula on Tuesday at Mid Peninsula School. (Adam Hinch/Daily Press photo)

ST. NICHOLAS — The Powers North Central boys picked up the pace in the second half here Tuesday night as they broke away for a 59-36 basketball triumph over Rock Mid Peninsula.

North Central led 28-23 at halftime in the non-conference contest, then outscored the Wolverines 12-0 in the third quarter.

“We couldn’t put the ball in the ocean in the first half,” Jets’ coach Jon Haight said. “We had a good halftime and cleaned up some things. We came out with more intensity on defense. When we play defense like that we’re tough.”

Junior Kaden Malone scored on a lay-in to start the third stanza and classmate Nathan Pipkorn drove down the lane for a layup, giving the Jets a 32-23 cushion.

Malone sank a jump shot from the boulevard to make it 38-23 late in the third and senior Brody Mercier hit a pair of free throws for a 40-23 advantage with 1:40 left in the third frame.

A 20-foot set shot from the right wing by Pipkorn put the Jets up by 20 points to begin the fourth.

Eighth-grade guard Cason Brunngraeber drained a 25-foot jumper from the left wing to bring the Wolverines within 55-37 slightly more than midway through the fourth, but the Jets didn’t allow them to get any closer.

Malone scored 15 points and Cretens added 11 for the Jets, who committed 12 turnovers.

North Central (4-7) will take a three-game winning streak into tonight’s home game against Florence, Wis.

North Central 6 22 12 19 — 59

Mid Peninsula 11 12 0 12 — 35

Powers North Central — Cretens 11, Stage 2, Pipkorn 5, Trudgeon 5, Mercier 6, Janofski 7, Malone 15, Castle 8. FT: 13-19; F: 18; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goal; Pipkorn.

Rock Mid Peninsula — Cason Brunngraeber 3, Cyler Brunngraeber 5, Dahn 3, Roberts 8, Peterson 1, Casey 2, S. Holmes 4, VanDamme 5, L. Holmes 4. FT: 7-16; F: 14; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Cason Brunngraeber, Cyler Brunngraeber, Roberts, VanDamme.