The Green Wave’s shooting was absolutely on fire the first half. They shot 88 percent. They were 14-of-16 overall and 7-of-8 from three-point range. And it started from the outset.

Bryce Jean hit three shots from behind the arc in the first four minutes, as Mattoon jumped out to a 9-4 lead. The Bulldogs responded with an 11-5 run – getting five points from Brock Fearday and four from Collin Westendorf -- to grab a 15-14 lead after eight minutes.

Jean, who made all five of his three-point attempts in the opening half, drilled a couple more, and Cale Kimbro came off the bench, hit all four of his shots and scored eight points. Mattoon led by as many as 10 points, 29-19, at the 5:02 mark.

Fearday, Max Koenig and Westendorf all hit threes of their own, helping the Bulldogs close to within 33-30 at halftime.

“We didn’t do a good job of containing the dribble penetration and then getting to the shooters,” Rincker explained. “In that first half, I didn’t think we guarded anybody.

“We’ve developed a bad habit of starting games slow,” the coach added. “Maybe I need to do something different. We have to start games with more energy and more determination. I hope we learn from this game tonight. We can’t play like this every game.”

After the starting five returned to the court in the third quarter, they immediately went on a scoring run. They forced three straight turnovers and converted after each one – a basket by Fearday and three-pointers by Westendorf and Ryan Schmidt – to complete a 9-0 surge and take a 39-38 lead.

A pair of free throws by Jean gave Mattoon a slim 40-39 edge heading into the final quarter.

A three-pointer by Andrew Wetzel started an 8-2 by the Green Wave. A free throw by Jace Gardner made it 53-47 with 3:19 left.

St. Anthony’s defensive pressure once again took its toll. Brock Fearday scored four straight points and Schmidt and Fearday then converted back-to-back turnovers into points, accounting for an 8-0 scoring spree and a 55-53 lead at the 1:29 mark.

Jean hit a pair of free throws to tie the game. The Bulldogs held the ball the final 57 seconds of regulation, but a last-second shot by Schmidt was off-target and the two teams headed to overtime.

Brock Fearday put SAHS ahead to stay with a short jumper with 1:41 to go. Colton Smith hit a free throw for Mattoon, but that was the only point the Green Wave scored in the extra session. A pair of free throws by Westendorf with 34 seconds to go accounted for the final points.

“To come back on a team that was in such a good offensive rhythm was good,” Rincker said. “I thought that showed some mental toughness.”

Jean led all scorers with 24 points. The Green Wave shot 54 percent overall, making 19-of-35 shots. They were 9-for-16 from long range and 9-of-12 at the foul line. Mattoon will now play Effingham at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

Fearday and Westendorf both scored 20 points for the Bulldogs. St. Anthony made 22-of-51 shots from the floor, a 43 percent clip. They were 6-for-12 from three-point range and 9-for-11 at the free throw line. They also forced Mattoon into 17 turnovers.

The Bulldogs improved to 11-2 overall. They will return to action at 1:30 p.m. Friday with a game against Champaign Centennial, who is 8-3. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals and play either Oak Lawn or Lutheran North at 7:30 p.m. The loser will play at 6 p.m. All of those games will be at Effingham High School.