King’s Fork High School’s boys’ basketball team split its two regular-season contests this year with Phoebus High School in games decided by no more than six points. But on Tuesday, the No. 3 Bulldogs built a lead and ended the No. 6 Phantoms’ season with a 67-46 final score in the conference tournament quarterfinals at King’s Fork High School.

The final score represented the Bulldogs’ widest margin of victory against a conference opponent this year. However, Coach Josh Worrell also said he was “just frustrated with our lack of discipline.”

He cited a lack of poise in his players, highlighting the importance of the trait in defeating a team desperately fighting to prolong its season like Phoebus.

“They’re going to do anything and everything they can do to win,” Worrell said.

With some players benched for all or part of the game for disciplinary reasons, others stepped up their games under the circumstances.

Junior Dale Roscoe produced a season-high 20 points and also had nine rebounds and two blocks. He addressed why his team was able to get the win.

“To be honest, we got each other the ball when we needed it,” he said.

Worrell gave a whole list of the different things Roscoe did well, but summed it up when he said, “He just played hard, the same thing with Cornelius (Norman).”

Norman, a junior, had one of his best games of the year with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Junior Tyese Pressley scored 13 points and added three blocks, taking advantage of a rare opportunity in the spotlight.

“It was actually his first start all year,” Worrell said.

Junior Akil Freeman had a solid game distributing the ball.

“He did a great job in the half court, and finding the open person,” Worrell said.

Worrell had previously cited free-throw shooting as a determining factor in the Bulldogs’ losses this season. Though King’s Fork’s accuracy from the line faltered occasionally on Tuesday, he noted it was fairly solid overall.

The Bulldogs (13-10) advance to the Ironclad Conference tournament semifinals on Thursday, when they will play No. 2 Heritage High School (17-5), with the tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at King’s Fork High School. The teams went 1-1 against each other in the regular season.

Thursday’s winner will earn a berth in the regional tournament and also advance to play either No. 1 Nansemond River High School or No. 4 Lakeland High School in the conference tourney final on Friday.