“Those two shots gave us the momentum we needed,” said St. Anthony coach Cody Rincker. “It was definitely a confidence boost.”

In the second half, the Bulldogs still made just 1-of-8 from long range, but were deadly inside the arc. They knocked down 14-of-20 shots in the final 16 minutes, a torrid 70 percent clip.

They opened the second half on a 10-2 run that established a double-digit lead and just continued to expand the margin. They led by as many as 26 points in the fourth quarter and left no doubt as to who the best team in the NTC was during this unusual season.

But the first half was brutal.

The host Cardinals came out in a tight zone, forcing the Bulldogs to shoot from the outside. St. Anthony showed patience on offense and had good looks. They just couldn’t knock them down.

“Coach (Josh) Zink always has his kids ready to play,” Rincker said. “We were ready for that packed zone. People have been trying to do that to us. I thought our shots were in-rhythm with our offense. None of those 12 shots were bad shots. We just didn’t make any.”

The Bulldogs trailed 2-0, but scored the next five points and never trailed again. By the end of the opening eight minutes, they held a slim 9-6 lead.

But they went scoreless for nearly seven minutes in the second period. Antrim made a jumper at the 1:14 mark to give SAHS an 11-9 lead. A free throw by North Clay’s Brady Ingram cut it to 11-10 and set the stage for the pivotal final seconds of the first half.

In that first half, St. Anthony made just 7-of-23 shots overall. But the Cardinals weren’t able to score either, plus they turned the ball over seven times.

Rincker was pleased how his team responded despite shooting so poorly.

“What I really liked was how we kept defending,” he noted. “I thought we showed a real mental toughness. Even though we weren’t making shots, the guys didn’t quit and continued to grind and play hard. We finally started making shots in the second half and then we took off.”

Walsh hit a jumper and James Schuette converted a North Clay turnover into another score to open the third period. After Dakota Weidner scored for the Cardinals, Seth Hotze made a free throw and Kennan Walsh scored five more points – two off a turnover, followed by a three – to increase St. Anthony’s lead to 27-12 with 3:55 to go in the period.

Schuette and Walsh both scored again, plus Antrim, Mick Willenborg and Craig Croy added baskets. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs were in control, 35-15.

And they didn’t let up in the final eight minutes. Croy scored seven points, while Antrim and Schuette added four each, helping the Bulldogs get to their biggest lead of the contest, 46-20, and secure the NTC championship yet again.

“I’m very pleased,” Rincker said. “Back in November and December, nobody knew what to expect. Having the opportunity to be conference champions gave the boys something to play for. It’s a privilege and honor to hold that title again.”

St. Anthony had three players in double figures. Antrim finished with 14 points, while Croy scored 13 and Walsh added 10. Grant Nuxoll grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.

“I was very impressed with Logan Antrim’s play tonight,” Rincker said. “I thought he showed the growth and maturity he’s experienced during his career. He continued to battle on defense and get guys set up on offense. I thought he showed real senior leadership.”

The Bulldogs ended up shooting 43 percent overall, connecting on 22-of-51 shots. They were just 3-for-22 from behind the arc and 3-for-8 from the foul line. They held a 21-12 rebounding advantage and forced North Clay into 15 turnovers.

The Cardinals, who finished their season at 8-8 overall and 2-5 in the NTC, got 12 points and six rebounds from Luke Fleener.

St. Anthony improved to 10-4 overall and finished with a perfect 8-0 record in the National Trail Conference. The Bulldogs close out their season at home Friday night. They will face Dieterich in the NTC Champions Night Shootout.

This takes the place of the annual NTC Tournament. The Movin’ Maroons finished runner-up in the conference, so Friday night’s winner will essentially be the tournament champion. St. Anthony defeated Dieterich 60-30 in their earlier meeting.

“We shot very well when we played them the first time,” Rincker said. “I guarantee you they will be prepared Friday night. But we’ll be ready, too. We’re just going to continue to do what we do. I’m confident our kids will come through in the big moments.”