Southern Wake Academy will play for a N.C. High School Athletic Association boys basketball state cahmpionship for the first time in school history.

The Lions defeated top-seeded Washington County 70-56 in the 1A eastern regional championship game at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem on Tuesday evening.

It took a few minutes for the teams to settle in. Neither team scored in the first two minutes of the game, but once Southern Wake found its offensive footing, it didn’t look back.

Six different Lions players scored in the first quarter as they. took a 20-13 lead. That lead only grew in the second quarter.

Seung Surmons scored 13 points in the first half and Broderick Barnes added eight more as the Lions took a 40-23 lead into halftime.

Washington County’s Ja’Quay Brown had nine points in the first half, and Brandon Carter Jr. had seven points, but Carter picked up three fouls in the first half.

But Washington County didn’t give up. The Panthers started the third quarter on a 9-0 run. Turnovers and offensive rebounds proved to be a problem after that though. Southern Wake went on a run of its own to push its lead back to 16 points.

Carter picked up his fourth foul with 2:25 left in the third quarter and went to the bench. He led Washington County in scoring through three quarters. Southern Wake led 55-39 going into the fourth.

Southern Wake continued to build its lead in the fourth quarter, going up by as many as 23 points.

Five players were in double-figures for Southern Wake, led by Surmons’ 17 points. Kobe Plata posted 13 points, Ira Wilson scored 12 points, Bryan Epperson scored 11 points, and Barnes finished with 10 points.

Despite his foul trouble, Brandon Carter was able to score 27 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter where he played with four fouls. He was the only player in double-figures for Washington County.

Southern Wake will face Corvian Community in the 1A state championship on Friday in Winston-Salem. Corvian Community beat Queen’s Grant 75-44 in the western regional championship game on Tuesday.

Corvian Community was the 1A state runner-up last season, falling to Wilson Prep in the championship game.

Washington County ends the season with a 22-4 overall record.