ORIENT — What happened in the first two minutes had a lot to do with a running clock in the final two minutes, according to Orient-Macksburg boys basketball coach Drew Dornack.

Diagonal had three free throws already in taking an early 5-0 lead, as O-M’s Jordan Thompson went to the bench with two fouls in the first 2 1/2 minutes. That’s a predicament for the Bulldogs, whose only other experienced starter this year is senior Jacob Caviness.

Thompson returned to hit a 3-pointer late in the first quarter, but a 15-5 game at the break was quickly extended to 24-7 three minutes into the second period. Diagonal finished with a 63-28 victory that reached the 35-point running clock with 2:30 left.