GULF SHORES – The Gulf Shores Dolphins defeated the Vigor Wolves 52-45 on Monday to win the 5A Area 2 tournament and picked up regular season win number 20 for the first time in school history.

The Dolphins never trailed on the way to the win and will host Faith Academy on Friday in a sub-regional matchup.

“I thought we played well enough on defense in the first half to give ourselves some room for error in the second,” Gulf Shores head coach Dru Powell said. “Vigor made a run on us in the third but our guys stepped up and held them back.”

Three Dolphins scored in double figures in the win. Jake Van Sickler had 18 points, Ryan Godwin had 13 and Bryan Beviacqua scored 12.

Vigor held Gulf Shores big man Brandon Gottfried to just seven points after getting him into foul trouble early.

“Our guys know they have to step up when other guys go down,” Powell said. “That is what good teams do, and we are trying to be a good team.”

Gulf Shores led 13-6 at the end of the first period and extended the lead to 25-11 by halftime.

Vigor opened the second half on a 15-4 run and closed the gap to just three points with 2:56 to play in the third. Van Sickler stopped Vigor’s run when he was fouled on a made basket and hit his free throw. He finished the third with two more free throws and the Dolphins led 34-28.

After Vigor’s Jacoby Glenn opened the fourth period with a two-point basket, Gulf Shores went on a 10-2 run that put the game out of reach.