Behind the sharp shooting of senior captain Chris Lawler, the Mercer Island boys basketball team beat the Liberty Patriots 56-39 Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Mercer Island High School.

It was a fiercely competitive first half between the Patriots and the Islanders. The first quarter ended with the score tied 11-11, and after a 3-pointer from Daniel Sims late in the second quarter, the Islanders headed into halftime clinging to a one-point lead.

But in the second half, Lawler came out on fire. Hitting five of his six 3-pointers in the second half, the Islanders cruised during a 22-point third quarter to stretch their lead to 16. Lawler led all scorers with a game-high 20 points. Andrew Pickles contributed nine points, Daniel Sims and Teddy van der Velden each had seven points, and co-captain Jake Stenberg had six points for Mercer Island.

Next up, the Islanders will take on Interlake at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20 at Mercer Island High School.