To the Bulldogs credit, they didn’t stop playing. Colton Fearday knocked down a three and then added another jumper to spark an 8-0 surge, getting the hosts within 39-33. But Dalton Markus came up with a steal and score right before the buzzer to make it 41-33 heading into the final eight minutes.

Craig Croy made a pair of free throws 11 seconds into the fourth quarter to again get the Bulldogs within six points, but Patton hit a shot and Haag added a three-point play to restore the double-digit lead for the Knights. Griffin Sehy made a pair of foul shots to trim it to eight points and Kyle Stewart connected on a shot from long range to make it 51-44, but there were just 45 seconds showing on the clock.

Mater Dei made a steady trek to the free throw line in the final 2½ minutes and made 11-of-14 attempts, including 7-of-8 by Patton, to seal the victory and improve to 12-7 on the season.

“Once they built that back up in the fourth quarter, their quick guards did a great job of playing keep-away,” Rincker noted. “They knew what they were after – a layup or free throws. They protected the ball and didn’t take a bad shot. They were very disciplined, which is a credit to their team and their coach.”

Early on, the game was close. Stewart went 4-for-4 in the opening period, helping the Bulldogs to a slim 12-10 lead after eight minutes of play.

The lead see-sawed back and forth through much of the second quarter. The lead changed hands four times until Haag hit a jumper that started a 6-0 run to close out of the first half with the Knights holding a 25-20 edge.

“There’s a purpose for building the kind of schedule we have,” Rincker said. “We’ve got to be stronger when we play these bigger schools, but this kind of competition will prepare us for the postseason. We can learn from games like this.”

Patton finished with a game-high 19 points for Mater Dei and Haag added 12. The Knights only shot the ball 32 times, but made 19 of them, nearly a 60 percent clip. And from two-point range, they were a scorching 77 percent, making 17-of-22 shots. They were also 16-for-22 from the foul line.

Stewart was the only Bulldog to reach double figures, finishing with 15 points. Sophomore Adam Rudibaugh and freshman Brock Fearday both added eight. The Bulldogs made 20-of-42 shots overall, a 48 percent clip. They were 3-for-12 from behind the arc and 5-for-7 from the foul line. They held a 20-13 rebound edge, but did turn the ball over 17 times.

“Our young kids are getting some great experience,” Rincker said. “It’s exciting and encouraging to see them get better and better, but we’re also playing for our seniors.”

Croy, who has missed six of the last seven games while dealing with a bone bruise on his foot, saw more action Friday night.

“It’s a very painful injury,” Rincker said. “We’re going to ease him back in. He needs to shake off some rust and determine what his pain tolerance will be. He’s an important part of our team. We’re hoping we’ll be able to start plugging him back in for 25 minutes or so each night.”

The Bulldogs are now 10-9 on the season. They will return to action Tuesday at Flora.