A late Lakeland charge brought the Cavaliers back from a double-digit deficit versus King’s Fork for a 54-48 win on Thursday evening in the King’s Fork Summer Basketball League.

Turning up the defensive aggression by putting a full-court press on the Bulldogs for the final 15 minutes of the game, Lakeland outscored Fork 23-7 in the last 13:12 and got 17 second-half points from Voyland Cooke to come-back late.

Fork jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the opening minutes and stayed ahead for the rest of the first half.

Lakeland’s 22-14 rebounding edge in the first half, with many boards coming on the offensive end for successful second chance lay-ins, kept the Cavaliers close despite shooting only 33 percent in the opening half.

A late surge by the Bulldogs, mostly from the shooting touch of Jaquan Parker, who scored eight of Fork’s final 10 points of the half gave Fork a 31-23 lead at the break.

The Bulldogs continued to extend their lead early in the second half, getting quick buckets from Thomas Scott and Jamar Wertz to stretch their lead to 35-23.

But from then on, Cooke and the Lakeland press became a dominating combo, changing everything in favor of the Cavaliers.

With the full court defense causing repeated steals and turnovers, Lakeland rattled off 14 unanswered points in the span of about five minutes, changing a 41-31 deficit into a 45-41 lead; a lead the Cavaliers kept until the final horn.

Cooke finished with a game high 25 points, as well as seven rebounds and four steals.

Julian Norfleet had 14 points and 10 rebounds; and Durrell Skeeter chipped in with eight points, five boards, and five assists.

Scott and Parker were the leading scorers on the Bulldog side with 13 points apiece.

In other action, the Cavaliers defeated Wilson 81-56, while King’s Fork fell to Woodside, 55-34.

The league, in its inaugural season, will play its final games Tuesday and Thursday.

andrew.giermak@suffolknewsherald.com