After trailing by two in the first minute, the Bulldogs scored the next nine points and never looked back. Griffin Sehy connected on a three and scored seven of those nine points, helping the top seed build a 14-6 lead after the opening eight minutes.

Sehy then drilled another three to open the second period to make it a double-digit cushion. It was a nine-point game, 21-12, when Kyle Stewart hit his third bucket of the quarter and sparked a 9-2 run. Brock Fearday hit a shot from behind the arc, Sehy scored on a fastbreak and Craig Croy and Max Koenig both added free throws, expanding the SAHS lead to 30-14.

It was a 13-point gap, 30-17, at halftime. It was the same 13-point margin, 38-25, after the third period.

“They (SEB) went to a zone in the third quarter and I thought we became hesitant,” Rincker said. “There was no flow to our offense. We were looking to make a play rather than just play. I thought we lost some of our urgency and focus. We can’t fall asleep and start taking things for granted when we get a lead.”

Things got better in the fourth quarter. Sehy drilled a three and Stewart hit a short jumper to spark an 11-2 run. Croy had a three-point play and Koenig drilled a shot from long range to extend the Bulldogs lead to 49-27 at the 5:09 mark.

St. Anthony made 20-of-33 shots overall, a 60 percent clip. They also shot 60 percent from behind the arc, making 6-of-10 three-point attempts, and finished 11-for-17 from the line.

The Eagles, meanwhile, struggled at the offensive end. They shot just 24 percent, making 11-of-45 attempts. They were 1-for-14 from three-point range and 8-for-16 from the free throw line. Caleb Campbell led them with nine points.

The Bulldogs had three players in double figures. Sehy led the way with 15 points, while Stewart scored 11 and Brock Fearday added 10.

The Bulldogs, who are in search of their fifth straight NTC Tournament championship, improved to 13-10 on the season. They will now face North Clay in the semifinals. The Cardinals advanced by defeating Dieterich 57-45 Tuesday night. The St. Anthony-North Clay game will be at approximately 8 p.m. Thursday.