They took advantage of six Olney turnovers, plus they shot the ball very well. Aaron Webb, Logan Antrim and Jack Hoene each connected from long range, with Hoene’s three capping the 18-4 scoring spree that gave the Bulldogs a 21-6 edge six minutes into the non-conference game.

St. Anthony got a little sloppy with the ball in the second period, turning it over seven times, and the Tigers were able to stay within striking distance. It was a 33-20 cushion at intermission.

And after Braden Flanagan scored four points and Drew Blank added two more, Olney had closed to within nine points, 35-26, two minutes into the third period. But the rest of the game belonged to the Bulldogs.

Webb hit a pair of free throws, Kaden Fearday converted a turnover into a basket and Hoene turned in a three-point play after another Olney miscue and, suddenly, the margin was back up to 16 points, 42-26. Two free throws by Jaccob Dust and Webb, plus a basket by Connor Walk sent the Bulldogs into the final period with a 51-31 advantage.

“Olney is a good team,” Rincker said. “They’re young and well-coached and they battled back into the game. We have to find a way to keep our energy level up as the game goes on. We’ve got challenges ahead of us. We’re going to be playing some very competitive teams and we’re going to need to play well.”

The Bulldogs had three players in double figures. Dust turned in a double-double, scoring 18 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Webb had 13 points and Hoene added 11.

St. Anthony’s shooting was red hot. They connected on 60 percent of their shots, making 25-of-42 attempts overall. They were 4-of-10 from three-point range and 11-of-17 from the foul line. They also owned a 24-16 rebounding edge and forced Olney into 17 turnovers.

“Jaccob continues to play well,” Rincker said. “He’s letting the game come to him, plus he’s rebounding and really attacking the glass. Kaden also had a nice game. He does a lot of good things for us. And Jack helps us keep it all together. He keeps our needle pointing north.”

The Bulldogs are now 10-0 and ranked No. 2 in the AP Class 1A poll. They will next compete in the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic, which begins Thursday. St. Anthony will first face Pleasant Plains at 6 p.m. at Teutopolis High School.

“It should be a great tournament,” Rincker said. “I’m anxious to see how we play. I’m very pleased in the growth I’ve seen from our team so far this season. We need to continue to work on our discipline. When we go on a nice run, we can’t get away from what we do. But we’ll improve on that.”