“We made some substitutions and started attacking better,” Rincker noted. “We were more aggressive and moved the ball better. We got some backside layups and hit some short jumpers. When the ball starts going in, it generally creates some confidence.”

One of those substitutions was Ryan Schmidt, who has become “Mr. Instant Offense” for the Bulldogs. The sophomore hit his first shot 22 seconds into the second period to get things started. Brock Fearday hit a shot from long range and Schmidt connected on a three from the corner to put St. Anthony on top to stay, 12-8.

Schmidt went 3-for-4 from the floor and hit a pair of free throws, netting 11 points in the period. Michael Martelli also drained a couple shots from behind the arc, as the Bulldogs went on a 25-11 scoring spree to open a 29-19 advantage at intermission.

“A big part of our success stems from having somebody like Ryan who can come off the bench and score,” Rincker explained. “That’s part of his role. He has a knack for scoring and can score at all three levels. He has a scorer’s mentality, that’s for sure.”

Schmidt kept it going in the third quarter. He hit two more shots from long range and had eight points. But the Cougars were still within seven points, 33-26, when the Bulldogs went on a game-clinching run. They scored the final 14 points of the period to stretch their cushion to 21 points, 47-26.

Griffin Sehy opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer to cap the 17-0 run. The Bulldogs later went on a 10-0 scoring spree that widened the margin to 30 points.

“I thought our defense did really good tonight,” Rincker said. “There were no gimmicks. I told them to just go out and guard the way we’re capable of. They did a good job of that.”

Schmidt finished with a game-high 21 points. Collin Westendorf and Fearday both scored eight. The Bulldogs, who made 21-of-27 shots over the final three quarters, finished 23-for-36, a 64 percent effort. They were 7-for-10 from long range and 7-for-8 at the foul line. They also held a commanding 29-11 rebounding advantage, with Westendorf pulling down nine and Max Koenig getting seven to lead the way.

St. Anthony improved to 18-10 on the season and 6-1 in the NTC. The Bulldogs will now play Saturday in the Wooden Shoes Shootout in Teutopolis. They will face Troy Triad at 2 p.m.

St. Anthony will then travel to Altamont on Tuesday night for an important conference match-up. The Indians are undefeated in the league and can clinch the NTC crown with a win, while the Bulldogs need a victory to earn a share of the title.

“We’ve had kind of a choppy season so far,” Rincker said. “We haven’t been as consistent as we need to be. A couple wins against some good opponents would really help. It could get us trending in the right direction as the postseason approaches.”