The Goshen Eagles hosted the Brantley Bulldogs in hopes of building some early season momentum after beating Highland Home on Tuesday night.

Goshen did just that by erupting in the fourth quarter after falling behind by double digits early in the second half and running away with a 56-43 win.

Dakarai Pelton led both teams with 33 points, 16 of them coming in the second half. He also added 11 rebounds, eight steals and six assists.

Brantley’s Tucker Kilcrease was the star of the show early in the game, though, scoring nine of the Bulldogs first 11 points. His first five made baskets all came from deep as he finished the game with 17 points.

While Kilcrease was drilling from downtown in the first quarter, Pelton and Dante Dawson were keeping the Eagles within striking distance. The pair scored Goshen’s first 19 points of the game before Michael McBryde scored well into the second quarter.

McBryde’s bucket cut the Bulldogs lead to 24-19 and a bucket just before the half sent the teams into the locker rooms with Brantley holding a 26-23 lead.

A Kilcrease three and breakaway layup started and ended a quick 7-0 Bulldog run on the other side of the break to give Brantley a 33-23 lead early in the third.

Goshen outscored the Bulldogs 33-10 the rest of the way. A Pelton three ignited a 13-3 run to end the quarter. Goshen head coach Daniell Powell said after the game that his team needed a wakeup call.

“My guys had to wake up and realize nobody was going to hand them anything,” Powell said. “They can’t just come out here and play and think they’re going to win the game, they have to work for it.”

The Eagles carried the third quarter momentum into the final stanza with a suffocating half-court trap that led to 20 fourth quarter points.

“We got into our defensive set and once we started running our defensive set the right way we started shutting everything down,” Powell said.

Dawson finished with eight points while Makel Avery added 10 points.

Goshen must turnaround and play Luverne on the road Friday before playing at Calhoun on Tuesday.