Waterford — Waterford had long been ready to begin its push towards a CIAC Division III boys' basketball title and impatiently waited to get started.

And waited.

And waited some more thanks to two weather-related postponements.

"That last cancellation hurt," Waterford junior Liam Spellman. "It's been a while (since we played). We wanted to get on the floor and play. We were very energetic in warmups today. We just wanted to play."

The energy showed up in the second-seeded Lancers' effort Friday night. They did the things a team can control through effort — rebound and play defense — to methodically take down No. 15 Farmington 62-47 in a second-round game at Francis X. Sweeney Gymnasium.

"Hustle plays are everything," Waterford head coach Bill Bassett said. "Any basketball coach will tell you that; that you have to win the hustle plays. Dive on the floor and get after it.

"From the top of my lineup down to my whole bench, every one of those guys will dive on the floor or get that offensive rebound."

The Lancers (22-2) will No. 7 Southington in Saturday's quarterfinals in a game that will be livestreamed on theday.com at 7 p.m. Southington (17-7) downed No. 10 North Haven 64-48 in the second round.

Spellman (10 points) was one of four Waterford players to score in double figures, and he added 13 rebounds (five offensive).

"(He was) tremendous," Bassett said. "They're throwing two guys at Mikey (Buscetto), so other guys had to step up. Mikey did a great job distributing the ball. He didn't get frustrated. He took what the defense gave him, and Liam was open. ... (Spellman) can find open guys, he can rebound and he can shoot the ball. He did a really nice job for us tonight."

Spellman said, "I try to pride myself on working the hardest on the court, and I like to dive on loose balls and stuff. I like to bring that energy to the team if it's lacking."

Buscetto scored 11 points with eight assists and four steals for Waterford. Walker Sutman added seven points and 10 rebounds.

Junior J.J. Brennan scored 14 of his 16 points in the second quarter for the Lancers.

"He's a talented shooter, and once he gets dialed in, he's a very tough commodity to stop," Bassett said. "He was missing a little bit from the outside (early), so what did he do — he went inside, he hustled around the rim, and he got a few layups and he got a few putbacks. And then when he gets those feet set and that ball comes to him, he can knock it down."

Jake Sytulek scored 19 for the Indians (11-11).

Farmington dropped five 3-pointers on the Lancers in the second quarter to cut an 11-point deficit to 30-25 with 55 seconds remaining in the first half.

Waterford used hustle plays to end the half on a 6-0 run. Spellman started it with a block that led to a transition layup by Brennan.

Brennan followed with a steal and a lay-up with 29 seconds remaining.

Waterford senior Eric Pinch, all 5-foot-7 of him, grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback at the buzzer to give his team a 36-25 halftime lead. Pinch finished with three assists and three steals.

Omar Rahman, who was hampered late in the season by an ankle injury, scored all 10 of his points in the third quarter for Waterford. It helped the Lancers go on a 12-0 run and take a 53-33 lead into the fourth quarter

"That was a big help," Spellman said of Rahman's points. "He's been waiting to get (back) in, and I think he played very well."

n.griffen@theday.com