The St. Anthony Bulldogs broke on top early and maintained that lead throughout, posting a 45-33 victory Wednesday night over Nokomis in a semifinal game of the Class 1A Bethany (Okaw Valley) Regional.

The Bulldogs will now face Arcola in the sectional championship. The Purple Riders, who are 25-6, defeated Okaw Valley 51-38 to also earn a berth in the sectional final. The championship contest is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday.

Sam Link and Brock Fearday both scored four points and Collin Westendorf and Ryan Schmidt knocked down three-pointers, as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 14-5 lead after the opening eight minutes. It was still a nine-point lead, 26-17, at halftime.

Nokomis outscored St. Anthony 7-5 in the third period to close the gap to seven points, but Schmidt scored seven points in the final quarter to help the Bulldogs expand the lead and secure the victory.

Westendorf and Schmidt both scored 13 points to lead St. Anthony’s scoring attack, while Fearday added nine.

The Bulldogs, the regional’s top seed, improved to 29-4 on the season. Arcola is seeded No. 4.

The winner will advance to the St. Anthony Sectional.