Lakeland High School boys’ basketball coach Clint Wright shared how he felt about his team’s performance after Tuesday’s 2014-15 season opener.

“If it had been a beauty contest, I’d have great concerns, because it wasn’t pretty,” he said.

But he was nevertheless pleased to see his Cavs pull away for a 55-36 home win over Great Bridge High School.

Lakeland started well, nearly exiting the first quarter with a 10-0 shutout, but the Wildcats hit a three-pointer at the end.

Wright indicated one of the elements making the game an ugly one for the Cavaliers was their shot selection, especially in the second quarter. The Wildcats matched Lakeland’s 12-point offensive output in that period, making the halftime score 22-15.

The coach also noted that, among other shortcomings, his team struggled to maintain discipline in defensive schemes, gamboling after the ball during the game.

But for Lakeland to play an ugly game and still pull off a 19-point win, Wright said, “I think that’s a great testament to the talent that is in the ball club.”

With the Cavs holding a single-digit lead at halftime, he told his players “to just relax and stick with the game plan.”

After that, Lakeland went up by as much as 25, and some players that do not play as much got an opportunity to get on the court.

Wright cited stamina as the deciding factor of the game. He had put a special emphasis on conditioning during the preseason.

He also substituted effectively on Tuesday and played 11 players, further staving off fatigue.

“We got a substitution pattern in the effort to give Deonta Knight, Kenya Latham a breather,” he said, adding he had quality players to sub in for them.

Knight, a junior forward, led the Cavaliers with 16 points to go with 10 rebounds and two assists.

Senior guard Kenya Latham led the team with six assists, including two or three that Wright said were particularly exciting.

“First, I don’t know how he threaded the needle, then second, I don’t know how Deonta Knight caught it,” Wright said of one of the assists.

Junior guard Qurante Budd made a strong contribution on the night with nine points, three rebounds and three assists.

Lakeland (1-0, 0-0) visits Indian River High School on Friday.