DUBLIN — South Brunswick put up 61 points across the second and third quarters to race past West Bladen on Friday in the third-place game of the Woodmen Life Christmas Tournament, 82-48.

The loss drops the Knights to 3-9 overall.

The Cougars opened the game with a quick 7-0 run, but West Bladen answered with a pair of three-pointers — one each by Scott Bowen and Shyron Adams. South Brunswick answered with another 7-0 burst to open a 14-6 lead before the Knights closed the first quarter on a 7-0 run of its own on a pair of buckets by Bowen and an old-fashioned three-point play by Jimmy Williams to close the gap to 14-3.

But the Cougars exploded for 31 points in the second stanza — fueled by four three-pointers, including three straight midway through the period — and took a 45-26 advantage into halftime. West Bladen got a three-pointer from Keshawn Lewis, four points from Tyre Boykin and four points from Bowen in the quarter.

The Cougars’ lead got extended to 53-26 with an early 8-0 run in the third quarter, and South Brunswick went on to post a 30-point period to carry a 75-39 lead into the fourth frame. Jonathan Robinson battled for four points and Gerardo Reyes drained a three-pointer for West in the period, but it was a costly third quarter for the Knights, as Bowen went down with an ankle injury and left the game.

West Bladen opened the fourth quarter with a 9-3 run behind a three-pointer by Reyes and baskets from Robinson, Boykin and Kerron Washington, but the Cougars sealed the game with a 4-0 run that ran out the clock.

“We ran into a buzz-saw,” said West Bladen coach Travis Pait. “We competed and our defense was excellent, but their length killed us.”

The Knights had nine players score and were led by Bowen’s 13 points.

West Bladen will return to Three Rivers Conference action on Tuesday when they travel to St. Pauls for an 8 p.m. game.