That stat would usually translate to a mediocre record at best, but the Laker log is heavily tilted to the winning side. It means Bonneville has been really good in close games this year, and has had a lot of them.

Such was the case again Friday night. The Lakers trailed at the half against Maple Mountain, then came out with a huge third quarter to take control of the game. Then, after weathering a late fourth-frame comeback, Bonneville advances to the 5A state quarterfinals with a thrilling, 49-43 victory in the teams’ second-round playoff tilt.

Bonneville barely showed up in the first half, falling behind 21-17, then went on a 16-4 spurt in the third quarter to take a comfortable 33-25 lead going to the fourth.

“We’ve got a lot of grit. We call the third quarter the Laker quarter; it has been our quarter every game this year,” Bonneville senior guard Jake Williams said. “We go out there with so much energy and enthusiasm and make the right basketball plays. We do our sets and get a good shot.”

If No. 4 seed Bonneville struggled in the first half, Williams was AWOL, scoring zero points — but he was the key cog in the second half, scoring all 11 of his points after the break.

No. 20 Maple Mountain (10-14) had taken a 25-23 edge with 4:30 left in the third quarter, but Carson Jones worked inside for a bucket to tie it at 25 with 3:11 remaining.

Then Williams came alive.

He worked the middle for a basket to give Bonneville (19-4) the lead for good, and followed it with a 3-pointer at the 1:10 mark for a 30-25 lead.

“Shooters gotta shoot. That’s what my dad and grandpa always told me, so I just go by that,” Williams said. “You’re not going to have the greatest start to games, but you gotta keep shooting and it will fall.”

Joe Tesch followed with another 3-pointer as part of a 10-0 run to put Bonneville ahead 33-25 going to the fourth.

The Lakers led 44-34 with 1:37 left in the game and true to form, things got tight when Maple went on a 7-2 run to close within 46-41 with 37 seconds left.

Williams made 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch and Bonneville used its experience in tight spots, gained over the course of the season, to hold on for the win.

“Every game in region was down to the wire, down to the wire; at practice we do situations, what we call winner drill — three seconds left, you’re down one, you’re down two,” Williams said. “Just have fun with it, so when we get in those situations it’s just muscle memory.”

Tesch finished with 10 points and Jones checked in with nine.