Floyd Central’s No. 5-ranked boys basketball team didn’t mess around on Friday night, scoring 27 first-quarter points, shooting 76 percent from the field in the first half and pulling away to a convincing 80-38 victory over Seymour.

Three minutes into the game, the Owls actually owned an 8-7 lead, but it didn’t last long. The Highlanders outscored Seymour 20-2 over the balance of the first quarter to take firm control of the contest.

“We came out in a zone with the mentality that we wanted them to beat us from the outside, and they certainly did that,” Seymour head coach Tyler Phillips said. “They’re a good ball club. They’re No. 5 in the state for a reason.”

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Floyd Central’s sophomore guard Jake Heidbreder punished the Owls’ zone with a perfect 8-for-8 shooting night, including hitting all six of his 3-point attempts. He finished with a game-high 24 points.

The Highlanders had plenty of answers inside, too, thanks to 6-foot-6 senior Cobie Barnes. The Indiana State commit scored 23 points on turnaround jumpers in the lane, mid-range shots and three 3-pointers.

Floyd shot 64 percent from the field for the game and ended with 11 3-pointers.

The Highlanders improved to 12-2 on the season and remain in the thick of the race for the Hoosier Hills title with a 3-1 conference record.

Seymour, meanwhile, dropped its fifth consecutive game and now stands at 3-12 on the season and 0-6 in the HHC. The Owls have only Thursday’s game at Madison to avoid their first winless conference run since the 2011-12 season.

Asked to evaluate the crowded Hoosier Hills race, now that his team has played all of the major contenders, Phillips said it’s difficult to choose.

“It’s really tough to win in this conference,” he said. “Jeff beat Floyd (by three points two weeks ago), but you can probably throw that game out now. You can’t count out New Albany and Bedford. I’ve learn never to underestimate a Brent Chitty-coached team, so you can’t count out Columbus East, either.”

Leading Seymour on Friday night were guards Eric McCoy and RJ Kleber.

McCoy led with 10 points and highlighted his night with a slashing drive to the bucket that the junior finished with a tough left-handed shot.

Kleber ended with seven points on 3-for-3 shooting.

“I don’t doubt our kids, ever,” Phillips said when asked about the effort of his starting backcourt. “(McCoy and Kleber) are going to be outsized every night, and they probably have been their whole careers. But they play their hearts out.”

Senior forward Jack Roberts also finished with seven points for the Owls. Braden Christopher, who was 4-for-4 from the foul line, followed with six points.

“There were a lot of positives tonight,” Phillips said. “There is a lot to clean up, too, but there were positives.”