“It’s good to get that first postseason game out of the way,” Rincker admitted. “In the postseason, everybody starts 0-0, plus we were playing a team on its home court. With the expectations we have, this is the most nervous I’ve been in a long time. I haven’t slept much the past five nights.”
With Aaron Webb scoring seven points and Jaccob Dust and Logan Antrim tallying four each, the Bulldogs opened an 18-9 lead and appeared to be in control. But Red Hill’s Camren Ray scored four points and Anthony Jerrell hit the Salukis fourth three of the opening period to close the gap to 20-16.
Two minutes into the second quarter, it was a narrow two-point contest. But Antrim scored on a drive to the basket that started a 17-5 scoring run that extended into the first minute of the second half. Dust had seven points to close out the half and then hit the first two shots of the third quarter to extend St. Anthony’s lead to 39-25 at the 7:02 mark.
After the Salukis got a bucket from Josh Henry, the Bulldogs started another scoring surge. In the final minute of the period, Webb converted a turnover into a layup and then connected on two long shots from behind the arc to cap a 19-7 run to open a 58-34 bulge heading into the final eight minutes.
St. Anthony closed the game out by outscoring Red hill 15-8 to finish with the 31-point victory.
“We came out in the second half and took it to another level,” Rincker admitted. “We talk about competing every day in practice. We try not to talk about wins and losses. We talk about competing. If we trust what we do, play together and play smart, I’ll be satisfied with the outcome. We have smart kids that know basketball and work at it every day.”
The final stats reflect how dominant the Bulldogs were in the game. They shot 53 percent, making 30-of-57 attempts, while Red Hill shot 36 percent, connecting on 16-of-45 shots. St. Anthony also owned the boards, finishing with a 35-16 rebounding advantage.
Dust had a strong double-double performance, pouring in 27 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. He made 11 of his 16 attempts. He got plenty of help from Webb, who scored 17 points, and Antrim, who added 15.
Dust got off to a slow start with just four points in the opening period. Red Hill’s 6’7” Nathan Wirth was able to keep him in check, but only for a brief time. Dust poured in 23 points over the final three periods.
“There are only a handful of teams with players that have Jaccob’s size and length,” Rincker explained. “It took him a little while to get settled and then he took it to another gear.”
The Salukis, who ended their season at 11-20, got 16 points from Allen and 10 from Jerrell.
The Bulldogs, now 27-3, will face North Clay for the regional championship. The Cardinals defeated Odin 69-61 in Wednesday’s second semifinal clash. The game in Bridgeport is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m.
“We have to show up and execute,” Rincker said. “This time of year, you can’t take anybody lightly. We have to trust and compete.”
