The first 12 minutes or so of Tuesday’s Gilbert Highland-Chandler Basha boys basketball rematch was much like Saturday’s title game of the Tucson Salpointe Tip-off Classic. Back and forth and a few point lead for either side.

The back and forth ended abruptly the last half of the second period as Highland showed a glimpse of what it’s capable of this season by pulling away and thrashing No. 2 Basha, 79-68, at Basha High School. The Hawks’ victory avenged a 54-52 loss at Salpointe three days earlier.

Highland (5-1), No. 3 in 5A-I, had five players score in double figures and actually lightened the scoring load on leading scorers Matt Carlino and Nick Johnson. Carlino netted 14 points and Johnson 11, but it was 6-foot-5 starting guard KC Toolson (team-high 18 points) and reserves Brett Lewis (12 points) and Dylan Roeder (10 points) who keyed second- and third-quarter offensive surges. A 20-0 run from just less than three minutes left in the second period through the 4:08 mark of the third period saw Highland take a 26-24 lead to 46-24.

Highland played for the third straight game without senior forward Chris Johnson, who is idled by an ankle sprain.

“I really felt they outplayed us tonight,” Basha coach Brad Pinter said. “They wanted it more and when they picked it up defensively in the second quarter they made it tough on us.”

Lewis and Roeder combined for 12 points in the second period and Toolson 12 of his 18 in the third. Highland knocked down eight 3-pointers on the night and their floor game was fabulous with just five turnovers the first three quarters.

Highland coach Mark Carlino, who had to sit out coaching the title game at Salpointe due to being ejected from the Hawks’ Friday night semifinal, liked what he witnessed after a game hiatus from the bench.

“I was very pleased with the effort,” Carlino said. “Sometimes when you get a little streak going it’s hard to get the tide turned your way. That’s what happened to them in the second and third quarters.”

Carlino joked afterward that he pulled the plug on his team a little too quickly. Highland led by as many as 26 (67-41 early in the final period).

He removed his starters and Basha came alive pulling within 72-60 with 1:52 to play. Basha cut the lead to single digits with a few seconds left, but this one was still won in the second and third quarters.

Nick Markovich paced Basha with 25 points, 15 coming in the final period. Matt Jones added 16, all in the second half.

“This was an important one to win because these (regular-season nontournament games) are the ones that count,” Carlino said.