“I thought we had trouble getting in sync almost all night,” St. Anthony coach Cody Rincker said. “But about midway through the third quarter, I thought we started playing with more urgency, especially on defense. And then once we took the lead, I thought we were much more comfortable and really started to play our game. That was a strong fourth quarter for us.”

A senior and a freshman sparked that fourth quarter surge.

Craig Croy, the senior who had scored only 4 of his game-high 23 points in the first half, started taking control. And the freshman, Brock Fearday, had all nine of his points in the final period, including a clutch three-pointer that just might have been the biggest shot of the game.

Trailing 33-29, Croy opened the final period with a free throw. Griffin Sehy and Croy then turned in back-to-back three-point plays that put the Bulldogs on top to stay.

After a bucket by Carlyle’s Hayden Hoffman got the Indians to within 36-35, Croy and Fearday teamed up for an 11-0 run the put the Bulldogs in total control. Croy hit a jumper and pair of free throws, then Fearday drilled the three-pointer, followed by a pair of foul shots and another bucket to put SAHS on top by double digits, 47-35, at the 2:32 mark.

The Bulldogs, who were 20-of-24 from the charity stripe in the final eight minutes, scored their final 11 points from the line down the stretch.

“Craig was on a mission tonight,” Rincker noted. “He didn’t settle for the threes. Instead, he got to the basket. He played like a man.

“Even though he’s just a freshman, Brock wants to be in there when the game is on the line. He wants to be in for those moments,” Rincker added. “He did real well down the stretch.”

Early on, however, it was a struggle for St. Anthony.

Carlyle held a slim 10-8 lead after the opening period. The Indians held a four-point edge midway through the second quarter, but a bucket by Colton Fearday and a three-point play by Sehy helped SAHS knot the score, 19-19, as the two teams headed to the locker room at intermission.

“My hat’s off to Carlyle,” Rincker explained. “They are a well-coached team that came in ready to play.”

A three-pointer by Croy gave St. Anthony a 23-22 edge early in the third period, but a three-point play by Jayden McIntosh and a bucket by Wyatt Nothaus put the Indians back on top, 27-23. It was still a four-point bulge, 33-29, heading into the pivotal fourth quarter.

Hoffman finished with a team-high 13 points for Carlyle, while Carsen Beer added 10. The Indians connected on 35 percent of their shots overall, making 13-of-37 attempts. They were 4-of-10 from long range and 14-for-19 from the foul line. The Indians held a slim 22-21 rebounding advantage and turned the ball over 11 times.

Carlyle finished its season with a 17-16 record.

Croy was the only St. Anthony player to crack double figures. Brock Fearday finished with nine and Max Koenig scored eight. The Bulldogs made 16-of-34 field goal attempts, a 47 percent clip. They were 2-for-7 from behind the arc and 24-for-30 at the free throw line. They committed nine turnovers.

For the Bulldogs, it was their second straight regional championship and their sixth since Rincker took over as coach nine seasons ago.

“Our young kids really grew up,” the SAHS coach said. “We’ve been in a lot of close games this year and they’ve learned how to handle that. This a fun group to be around. I felt like they had this in them all season. It’s very rewarding to see them get this regional championship.”

The Bulldogs, winners of seven straight games, improved to 21-12 on the season. They will now return home and host the St. Anthony Sectional at The Enlow Center. They will play a 27-6 Tuscola team that will be coming off a 56-33 win over Arcola to win the Arcola Regional.

The St. Anthony vs. Tuscola contest is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The other sectional semifinal will feature South Central and Macon Meridian. That game will be played at 7 p.m. Wednesday with the championship contest set for 7 p.m. Friday.