EAST LANSING >> Time is running out for Division 3 teams to prove equal to Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac.

The Lions continued to show that they’re a cut above Westwood and won 76-40 in Thursday afternoon’s state semifinal at the Breslin Center.

“It feels great,” ATAP senior Teyshaun Hicks said. We put in so much work, starting from the summer time; late nights, early mornings. It’s paying off and we see it now.”

“We worked very hard to prepare for this moment,” fellow senior Terrance Hicks said. “I feel like this is what we deserve and, you know, it’s what we need to keep going.”

The result was nearly as evident as the hard work from the first four minutes of the contest as ATAP got out to a 10-2 lead that was just the beginning of the Lions capitalizing off the Patriots’ turnovers.

“That’s what we try to do every game,” ATAP freshman guard Lewis Lovejoy said. “We come out fast, faster than our opponent, outscore them and set a tone.”

Don’t think that had anything to do with scouting Westwood, though.

“We don’t watch film on anybody,” Lions head coach Orlando Lovejoy said. “Why would we watch film on someone, who, we don’t even know how they’re gonna play us? I think the most important thing is to play the way we’re gonna play, control what we’re gonna control, and that’s the way we play defense. The main thing we can stop anybody with is our defense.”

And the defense gave the Patriots fits, leading to a dozen points off turnovers in the first half alone, which ended with the Lions leading 36-15, including a 16-1 run to close the second quarter.

“They’re great with pressure,” Patriots head coach Luke Gray said. “Our guards felt that early in the game, and we try to alleviate some of that pressure, get our wings up, and they were in great defensive principles, getting in the passing lanes. It took us a while to get settled down where we could use all five of our options to try and create some of that space for us, but they’re really athletic on-ball, and what they get those turnovers, it’s up the court, and they’re finishing well at the rim. They were just really smooth today.”

It didn’t matter that ATAP (21-1) made just one of its seven attempted 3-pointers in the first half, which was one more than Westwood, but overall, the Lions shot 61% from the field before intermission, compared to 24% for the Patriots.

The Ishpeming squad had its best eight minutes in the third quarter when they knocked down two shots from outside and were only outscored 20-18, but an inability to make up any ground by that time meant the Lions were able to chew up clock when the fourth rolled around.

Those closing minutes didn’t get any easier for Westwood as ATAP made all but one of its 10 field-goal attempts in the fourth.

Lewis Lovejoy led the scoring for the Lions, finishing with 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting. Junior De’Vontae Grandison went for 17 and also pulled down a game-high nine boards, and he also blocked three shots, as did Terrance Hicks (seven points). Teyshaun Hicks added 11 points for ATAP.

On making the finals as just a freshman, Lewis said, “It feels great. It feels amazing. I can play with my cousins, my father is the coach. It feels good … I’m just happy to be here with my team and family.”

Ethan Marta ended with 15 points and Tristan Miller added 13 for the Patriots (22-6), who knocked off Iron Mountain, Maple City Glen Lake and then McBain — all ranked D3 teams — in succession to make Thursday’s semifinal.

ATAP will play Riverview Gabriel Richard in Saturday’s D3 championship. The Pioneers, who lost in the semifinals last season by two points to Old Redord, beat Pewamo-Westphalia 66-45 in the game that followed ATAP’s win.

When asked whether that trend of studying tape would change ahead of the final, which is set for a 4:30 p.m. tip-off, Coach Lovejoy simply answered, “No.”