“I’m just proud of our kids for not giving up and persevering,” Tri-Village coach Josh Sagester said. “I think we were tough and gritty tonight. It wasn’t pretty and wasn’t one of our best games on the offensive end, but we found a way to win.”
Jackson Center held a 29-26 lead with under a minute left, but Jonny Wilson hit a 3-pointer to tie the game, and Jackson Center’s Brady Wildermuth missed a last-second shot from halfcourt at the end of regulation.
Trace Couch hit a basket in the post on the first overtime possession, and Dillon McCullough followed with a pair of free throws to put the Patriots up 33-29.
Wildermuth hit a basket with 31 seconds left to cut Tri-Village’s lead to 35-33, but Jackson Center missed three shots on two possessions before the final buzzer.
The Patriots (19-7) lost several close nonconference games in regular season and suffered a four-game losing streak in December while several players were suspended as a result of a hazing investigation.
Sagester credited tough Cross County Conference games and a nonconference schedule that included the likes of Versailles, Fort Loramie and Southeastern for helping to prepare the team.
“This speaks not only of our schedule, but how tough our kids are,” Sagester said. “We had a lot of different guys step up and make big plays.”
Gavin Richards led Tri-Village with 12 points. Wildermuth had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Jackson Center (18-7).
Fort Loramie 68, Lockland 42: A single memory was enough motivation for Fort Loramie in Friday's first district final game — the feeling of defeat.
Last season in a district final, the Redskins had a four-point lead over Southeastern with 20 seconds left but couldn’t hold on and lost in overtime.
“We talked about it a little bit but didn’t harp on it,” Britton said of last season’s loss. “They remember what happened. We wanted to be focused and make sure we finished.”
The Redskins didn’t have to worry in the fourth quarter against Lockland since the game was practically decided by then. Fort Loramie jumped to a 20-5 lead by the end of the first quarter, and Lockland never trailed by less than 15 points after that.
Dillon Braun scored 13 of his team-high 19 points in the first half to help Fort Loramie take control early. Tyler Siegel scored 17 points and had a game-high nine rebounds, while Austin Siegel scored 11.
“We did a great job,” Britton said. “I was real happy with the way we started. We came out with fire and intensity, and when we do that, we’re pretty darn good.
Fort Loramie (21-5) advances to face Lima Perry in a regional semifinal on Tuesday at Trent Arena.
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