Lincoln Northeast standout guard Brianna Craig was unstoppable at times Friday.

But when Lincoln Southwest's defense kept the 5-foot-10 sophomore under wraps for the first 12 minutes of the second half, that was enough for the Class A seventh-ranked Silver Hawks to wrap up a 53-46 girls basketball victory.

Craig's 10 second-quarter points helped the Rockets (6-11) forge a 25-25 tie heading into halftime. A cranked-up Southwest defense in the second half shut out Craig until mid-fourth quarter, allowing the Hawks (14-4) to build a 45-31 advantage before weathering one last Craig flurry that left her with a game-high 22 points.

"Craig is a hard kid to guard," Southwest coach Lis Brenden said after her team's seventh straight win. "She can drive to the basket and finish or she can step back and hit the three. You have to pick your poison with her."

After Northeast's Chante' Williams opened the second half with a driving layup, Faith Fantroy hit back-to-back three-pointers to put Southwest ahead to stay 31-27 less than two minutes into the third quarter.

A 10-0 Southwest run late in the third quarter and early in the fourth expanded a four-point margin to 45-31 with 4:40 left in the game.

Two straight baskets by Liz Dike off the bench - one with 1:17 left in the third quarter and the other 19 seconds into the final period - started the string. Fantroy scored on a sweeping left-handed shot inside to open up a 10-point lead, and her twin sister, Tina Fantroy, hit two free throws at the 5:17 mark. Jenna Cunningham capped the run with an offensive rebound and basket.

Tina Fantroy led Southwest with 16 points, while Faith Fantroy and Lauren Works added 12 points apiece.

Southwest's full-court pressure defense limited Northeast to 3-of-15 shooting and forced eight turnovers in the first 12 minutes of the second half.

Craig scored 10 points in the final 3:49 to get Northeast as close as six points three times in the final 1:17.

Craig had a three-point play and a three-point basket down the stretch.

"Our intensity was much higher in the second half and we did a better job of team defense," Brenden said. "Northeast has some players who can drive to the basket, and our help-side defense was almost non-existent in the first half."

Northeast coach Rich Olson was impressed with the defensive pressure the Fantroy sisters applied in the back court.

"They just keep coming at you," he said. "They play really hard and eventually wear you down.

"Southwest has a very nice team. They've lived through tough times and now they're reaping the benefits of those experiences," Olson added, referring to the Silver Hawks' 7-15 season a year ago when they finished with seven straight losses.