Conditioning and confidence helped Bulloch Academy pound Flint River Academy 46-28 on the first day of the fifth annual Lady Gator Classic Tuesday.

Bulloch (1-0) held a slim 19-15 advantage early in the third stanza. Six and a half minutes later, the Lady Gators had outscored the Lady Wildcats 15-3 and took a 34-18 lead headed into the final eight minutes.

"The difference was conditioning," said BA head coach Paul Webb. "Plus, in the second half, we settled down."

Sophomore Anna Newton had a game-high 16 points and junior Haley Burke added 11.

"I have been real pleased with Haley’s play during preseason," said Webb. "I think she is going to have a great year. Anna was pressing too hard and trying to force things in the first half. In the second half, she came out and just played."

In the evening’s finale, both Bulloch and Flint River started slow as only six points were scored in the first quarter.

In the second, the Gators seemed to loosen up as Burke began to drive the basket and make things happen. She and Newton scored six points each in the quarter as Bulloch took a 19-12 halftime lead.

After Hannalee Flynn drilled a three-pointer to open the third quarter and cut the lead to four, the Lady Gators began working harder. Webb’s conditioning paid off as Bulloch seemed to outhustle the Lady Wildcats. BA’s Taylor Collins converted a three-point play at the 2:17 mark and Burke hit both ends of a two-shot technical foul call for a five-point swing which gave BA a 29-17 lead. McKenzie Webb’s three-pointer with 1:05 left gave BA a 34-18 lead.

Bulloch held a 16-point lead for the majority of the quarter and even upped to 20, 44-24, when Webb hit her second trey of the game.

The Classic continues today as Flint River takes on Trinity Christian School at 5:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Christian Academy battles David Emanuel at 7 p.m. and Bulloch takes on Thomas Jefferson at 8:30 p.m..