The Bulldogs will advance to the Charleston Super Sectional to face Mounds Meridian on Monday night.

St. Anthony trailed 28-21 at intermission, but began to cut into the Tuscola lead immediately in the third period. Will Fearday knocked down a three-pointer and scored five points. Brock Fearday converted the Warriors’ fourth turnover into a basket that put SAHS on top, 35-34. But a three-point play by Logan Kurtz gave Tuscola a slim 37-35 edge heading into the final quarter.

And those last eight minutes were dominated by the team in red.

Brock Fearday opened the fourth period with a jumper that tied the game. The Bulldogs then converted three straight turnovers into baskets, one by Brock Fearday and two by Ryan Schmidt – the second being a three-pointer that capped the 9-0 run and gave St. Anthony a 44-37 advantage.

After Tuscola got a bucket from Sawyer Woodard – it’s only field goal of the period – Schmidt connected again from long range and Will Fearday turned yet another Warriors miscue into a pair of foul shots that expanded the SAHS lead to 49-39 at the 3:42 mark.

From that point on, the Warriors tallied only one free throw, while the Bulldogs continued to expand the margin. Five free throws in 25 seconds by Brock Fearday gave St. Anthony its largest lead of the game, 56-39. The Bulldogs outscored Tuscola 21-3 in the fourth period.

“I really thought our trap could cause them some problems,” Rincker said. “The boys did a fantastic job of ramping up the pressure in the second half. We got hot and we got into a rhythm defensively.

“It was one of the moments we got on a roll and they couldn’t stop us,” Rincker added. “It came down to they didn’t have enough ballhandlers to handle our pressure. It changed the game.”

And after the first half, it needed to be changed.

Tuscola knocked down six shots from behind the arc to build its lead in the first half. Kam Sweetnum, Parker James and Kurtz each connected from long range in the first quarter to help erase an early 6-0 deficit and forge a 9-9 tie after eight minutes.

The Warriors dominated the second period. Kurtz hit two more from long range, James added another and Sweetnum scored six points. When the two teams headed to the locker room at intermission, Tuscola owned a 28-21 advantage.

“Coming into this game, my biggest concern was Tuscola’s size and strength inside,” Rincker noted. “It’s no secret that rebounding is not a strength of ours. But because of the schedule we play – especially against teams like Teutopolis, Casey-Westfield and Bloomington Central Catholic – we have faced some physical teams.”

Rincker’s initial defensive scheme focused on Woodard, Tuscola’s 6’5” senior post player, and Sweetnum, the Warriors’ outstanding senior guard.

“We knew they liked working the ball inside to Woodard, but we also knew Sweetnum had the ability to go off for 30 points anytime,” the St. Anthony coach said. “That first half, we got dominated on the glass and we didn’t get out on their shooters quick enough. I thought only being down seven was a blessing. Fortunately, we were able to change that in the second half.”

It also doesn’t hurt to have a pair of all-staters you can rely on. Brock Fearday and Schmidt combined to score 23 points in the second half. And Will Fearday added nine more.

“It does help when you have two all-staters that recognize the gravity of the situation,” Rincker noted. “Both Ryan and Brock did a great job the second half. They played like the seniors and all-staters they are. They helped give the whole team the confidence we needed.

“And Will Fearday just keeps doing his job,” Rincker added. “He not only guarded Sweetnum, he also scored for us, which is huge. He’s a fantastic kid that’s also playing like a senior.”

Kurtz finished with 14 points to lead the Warriors, who ended their season with a 27-7 record.

St. Anthony had three players in double figures. Brock Fearday led the way with 20 points, while Schmidt scored 18 and Will Fearday added 12.

As a team, the Bulldogs shot 53 percent, connecting on 19-of-36 attempts. They were 5-for-13 from three-point range and 13-of-17 from the foul line. Tuscola held a 22-19 rebounding edge, while SAHS turned the ball over just six times, compared to 15 for the Warriors.

St. Anthony will now face a Mounds Meridian team (26-8) that will be playing in the super sectional for a third consecutive year. The Bobcats, who finished second in Class 1A last year, defeated Goreville, 69-63, to win the Cobden Sectional.

They feature 6’4” senior standout AJ Flenoid. He averages a double-double – 19 points and 11 rebounds.

“They are fast and very aggressive defensively,” Rincker explained. “And Flenoid is a grown man. They’ve won 26 games for a reason.

“We will have to be disciplined and patient,” Rincker added. “We will need to take care of the basketball and take advantage of our opportunities. I think turnovers could be a very decisive statistic in this game. But we’ll come ready to compete.”

The Bulldogs improved to 31-4, which set a new record for wins in a season. They will be making their first trip to the super sectional since 2017, the year they went on to capture the Class 1A state title.

“It’s always fun to play in March,” Rincker said. “We’re just going to enjoy every moment.”

Tipoff for Monday night’s game is set for 7 p.m. The game will be played at Lantz Arena on the campus of Eastern Illinois University.