After leading 39-29 with under a minute to play, Fairmont (6-17) somehow had a shot to force overtime. The Firebirds scored on an offensive rebound by Connor Van Oss with 39 seconds left, a 3-pointer by Kellan Bochenek with nine seconds left and a layup by James Bergman with two seconds left to cut the Elks’ lead to 42-37.
After a timeout with 1.8 seconds left and while jostling for position on the ensuing inbounds pass, Centerville’s Keegan Saben was called for a technical foul. Bergman made both free throws and the Firebirds inbounded at midcourt with a chance to tie on a 3-pointer. But the Elks made Bergman shoot from 35 feet and the shot was well short.
“We knew it was going to be tight playing a team for a third time, a rivalry game like that,” Cupps said.
The Elks (13-10) won both previous meetings, but the second was only by five. Next for the Elks is No. 12 Lebanon at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
“Our guys were really tentative to start the game,” said Cupps, whose team led 16-15 at halftime. “After we got going in the second half, we executed what we want to do offensively a little better.”
Saben, the Elks’ top scorer this season, was in foul trouble throughout the game, but managed to score 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter.
“They did a good job making it hard on him,” Cupps said.
Bergman led Fairmont with 11 points.
Sidney 94, Tecumseh 73: The Yellow Jackets dominated the offensive glass in the first half and closed the second and third quarters with big runs to advance to a 7:30 p.m. Tuesday semifinal against Xenia.
An 18-6 run closed the first half to give No. 6 Sidney (16-7) a 40-26 lead. The key part of the run was three straight baskets off offensive rebounds by the three different Yellow Jackets.
The No. 8 Arrows (19-4) rallied to 47-40 in the third with a 14-3 run, but the Yellow Jackets answered with a 13-3 run the close the quarter.
Freshman point guard Andre Gordon led Sidney with 32 points in a variety of ways, hitting jumpers, 3-pointers and mostly taking the ball strong to the basket. Senior Cameron Gallimore added 23.
Malik Quisenberry led the Arrows with 28 points and Darius Quisenberry added 18.
Xenia 88, Troy 60: Ray James scored 25 points, Rocky James scored 17 and the No. 5 Buccaneers used a 14-0 run late in the second half to take control with a 19-point halftime lead. The Bucs made seven 3-pointers in the first half and forced 14 turnovers with its full-court press and tight man-to-man.
Romello Yaqub led No. 17 Troy (8-15) with 19 points.
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