WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — You either adjust to the pace of Andy Muse’s Mount Tabor boys basketball team or you pay the price. Lake Norman chose the former on Tuesday.

In a battle of two top 25 teams in what was just the second game of the year for both, the No. 5 Wildcats turned things up on the defensive end to pull away from the host No. 18 Spartans by a 61-46 score.

Mount Tabor (1-1) scored just one field goal in the third quarter and just three in the fourth as Lake Norman (2-0) got more physical, which led to fewer “hustle points” for Mount Tabor in transition and second-chance opportunities.

It also led to some transition points for Lake Norman as well, which compounded things for Mount Tabor. The Spartans had a 34-25 lead at halftime.

“There wasn’t a lot of clipboard talk (at halftime). I felt like our effort wasn’t there,” Lake Norman coach Gattis Hodges said.

Appalachian State recruit Tre McKinnon led all scorers with 25. The Lake Norman senior flourished with 14 second-half points, but he also helped disrupt things on the defensive end.

Lake Norman got to more loose balls, and Mount Tabor’s half-court offense wasn’t getting as many open looks anymore.

“We basically got stronger,” McKinnon said.

Clemson recruit Trent Steinour, coming off a 15-rebound performance in the season opener, scored 14 points.

For Mount Tabor, point guard Shamarius “Snook” Peterkin had 22 points, getting the Spartans going early including a number of assists on backdoor cuts.

Box Score

LKN: Myles Crumes — 2; Josh Yates — 2; Tre McKinnon — 25; Taurean McKinnon — 2; Nick Arnold — 14; Braden Miller — 2; Trent Steinour — 14.

MTB: Shamarius “Snook” Peterkin — 22; Amare Robinson — 6; Will Koonin — 7; Azekel Hughes-Drumgole — 2; Aidan O’Gara — 6; Andrew Phillips — 3.