Upset-minded Dillard gave reigning Class 7A state boys’ basketball champion Blanche Ely all it could handle before the Tigers’ star-studded guard lineup of Richard Lee III, Lance Tejada, Dallas Cameron and Darion Allen took over Saturday night.

Before a standing-room only crowd at Blanche Ely, Allen scored 11 second-quarter points, including an emphatic two-handed dunk to close the first half that helped the Tigers (1-0) pull away for a 65-54 victory.

Lee, sporting lime green Nike sneakers, connected on four three-pointers and finished with 14 points, and fellow transfer Tejada helped put the Panthers away with an assortment of tough drives and finished with a game-high 16 points.

Dillard forged a 17-17 tie with Ely going into the second quarter before Allen swung the momentum in the Tigers’ favor for good by splitting two defenders and elevating for a dunk with 13 seconds left that pushed Ely to a 38-33 halftime lead.

Romello Walker and Cedric Wright each led the Panthers (1-1) with 10 points. Jovion Heastie added nine points, and Tyson Grace had seven points.

Ely went on a 12-2 run at the start of the third quarter to salt things away. Tejada made a driving layup, 6-8 forward Khalil Thomas added a tip in and Allen had a steal and lay-in to put the Tigers up 44-35 with 7:03 left.

Lee connected on a three-pointer from the wing, and Tejada worked his way through traffic for another lay-in to keep Dillard at bay 49-39 with 4:20 left in the third quarter.

• Blanche Ely 65, Dillard 54 – DIL (1-1): R. Walker 10, C. Wright 10, T. Smith 3, Grace 7, Kennedy 2, Murphy 4, Osson 5, Heastie 9. ELY (1-0): Lee 14, Gossier 4, Tejada 16, D. Allen 13, Cameron 12, Thomas 6. Halftime: ELY 38-33. Three-pointers: Heastie, Grace, Walker 2, D. Allen, Lee 4.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

• Sagemont 71, Calvary Christian 11 – SAGE (1-0): Horne 3, Cooper 10, Koulechov 3, Kande 6, Kirby 13, DeLucia 3, Jurko 2, Serpa 4, Marshall 6, Delaruelle 15, Raden 2, Noel 4, McCray 2. CCA (0-1): Rogelio 6, Ross 4, Nowland 1. rebounds: Delaruelle, Cooper. Steals: Jurko 5. Assists: DeLucia 5.

STATE FOOTBALL SCORES

Class 8A Regional Semifinals

Apopka 56, Timber Creek 14

Columbus 42, Coral Gables 7

Cypress Bay 34, Miramar 14

Dr. Phillips 24, Plant 7

East Lake 29, Vero Beach 7

Fletcher 28, Sanford Seminole 6

Seminole Ridge 31, Palm Beach Central 7

Class 7A Regional Semifinals

Boyd Anderson 6, Dwyer 3

Fort Pierce Central 40, Martin County 14

Kissimmee Osceola 29, Ridge Community 28

Lincoln 34, Buchholz 21

Manatee 56, Venice 7

Newsome 21, Durant 14

Oviedo 20, Evans 19, OT

St. Thomas Aquinas 38, Plantation 7

Class 6A Regional Semifinals

Armwood 9, Hillsborough 7

Columbia 34, St. Augustine 8

Gainesville 21, Ocala Vanguard 10

Mainland 34, Winter Haven 33

Central 34, Northwestern 7

Naples 42, South Fort Myers 21

Navarre 20, Milton 12

Palm Bay 21, Heritage 14

Class 5A Regional Semifinals

Bishop Kenny 44, Baker County 23

Glades Central 26, Merritt Island 10

Godby 14, Wakulla 7

Immokalee 30, East Lee County 12

Lake Wales 17, Palmetto 14

Jackson 30, Norland 21

Pasco 52, Eastside 0

Robinson 22, Lakewood 19

Class 4A Regional Finals

Bolles 31, South Sumter 24

Cocoa 35, Jones 7

Booker T. 57, Gulliver 0

Yulee 16, East Gadsden 13

Class 3A Regional Finals