ELMA — The interest banked during the opening 18 minutes came in handy for Aberdeen’s boys at the end.

Building a 17-point lead early in the second half, the Bobcats withstood an Elma comeback for a 51-45 win in a non-league boys basketball game Monday at Elma.

Victor Gomez scored 23 points and Braden Castleberry-Taylor provided a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Bobcats evened their season record at 6-6.

Cody Vollan led a trio of double-figure scorers for Elma with 12 points. Brother Avery and A.J. Brown added 11 and 10 points, respectively, for the Eagles (3-11).

The Bobcats had the advantage in nearly all departments during a first half that ended with them on top, 33-19. Their ball movement was particularly outstanding, as they repeatedly found the cutter for layins. Gomez and point guard Ben Dublanko, meanwhile, each hit a pair of 3-point baskets in the half.

They increased the lead to 39-22 on a Gomez basket early in the third quarter. That’s when the complexion of the contest changed.

After shooting close to 50 percent until then, Aberdeen cooled off drastically in the final 12 minutes. Failing to convert even close-range attempts, the Cats went the final six minutes without a field goal.

Elma, meanwhile, began attacking the basket effectively. Hitting primarily from short and middle distance, the Eagles shot 57 percent from the floor in the second half and 50 percent for the game.

Both coaches believed that a change in pace was critical.

“In the first half, I felt like we pushed the ball each and every time down the floor,” AHS coach Mark Buckman said. “In the second half, we tried running a different offense and it took away our killer instinct.”

The slower tempo suited Elma.

“We just executed more,” Eagle coach Marvin Prince asserted. “We were a little more deliberate, a little more patient. I was pleased. If we play like that, we can win some games in (our) league.”

The Eagles didn’t reduce the margin to single digits until early in the fourth quarter. But they twice drew within five in the final 2 1/2 minutes, the last time at 50-45 when Avery Brown drove for a layin with 1:23 on the clock.

Elma twice had an opportunity to make it a one-possession game. Gomez, however, came up with a steal and the Eagles were called for traveling in the final minute. Gomez’s free throw at 0:22 closed out the scoring.

Outscored from two-point range, the Bobcats owed their victory to significant advantages in 3-point shooting (12-3) and foul shooting. The Cats made 13 of 20 free throws, while the Eagles were only 6 of 10 from the stripe.

Gomez also had eight rebounds, while teammate Josh Collett dished out five assists.

Avery Brown had 10 of his 11 points in the second half for Elma.

Both teams next return to action in their respective leagues. Aberdeen travels to Centralia on Wednesday, while the Eagles journey to Forks on Friday.

Aberdeen 19 14 10 8 — 51

Elma 9 10 12 14 — 45

Aberdeen (51) — Roiko, Dublanko 8, Collett 9, Gomez 23, Castleberry-Taylor 11, Coburn, Solan, Sayres, Hughes, Troy, Jandu, Metke. FG — 17-50 (.340). FT — 13-20.

Elma (45) — A.J. Brown 10, Tep 6, Thompson 4, Vollan 12, Avery Brown 11, Peterson 2, Spalding, Horton. FG — 19-38 (.500). FT — 6-10.