This one was over early.

The St. Anthony Bulldogs built a quick double-digit lead and coasted to a lopsided 66-26 win Saturday at Decatur St. Teresa.

The Bulldogs had an 18-6 lead after the opening eight minutes and then went on a 23-12 run to open a 41-18 advantage at intermission.

It was 62-26 after three quarters, resulting in a continuously running clock.

Brock Fearday led St. Anthony with 18 points, while Ryan Schmidt added 14.

The Bulldogs improved to 14-4 on the season. They will return to action Saturday with a National Trail Conference game at Neoga.

The St. Anthony Bulldogs kicked off the 2024 portion of their schedule with a lopsided 67-38 victory Tuesday night at Robinson.

The Bulldogs had a narrow 14-11 lead after the first eight minutes, but then began to pull away. They led 32-21 at halftime and 52-31 heading into the final quarter.

Ryan Schmidt, Brock Fearday and Collin Westendorf combined to score 47 points for SAHS. Schmidt led the way with 19, while Fearday scored 16 and Westendorf added 12.

The Bulldogs, ranked No. 3 in the Class 1A poll, improved to 13-4 on the season. They will return to action Saturday with a game at Decatur St. Teresa.

It was a record-setting night at The Enlow Center.

Stacie Vonderheide poured in 52 points, helping the St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs cruise to a 93-34 victory over Shelbyville Thursday night.

Vonderheide connected on 21-of-29 shots and set a new single-game scoring record at SAHS, breaking the old mark of 43 points, set by Riley Guy.

Vonderheide scored in double digits in all four quarters. She had 12 in the first eight minutes, followed by 10 points in the second period, as the Lady Bulldogs built a 52-24 halftime lead. The senior followed with quarters of 12 and 18 points to complete the record-setting performance.

Vonderheide nearly had a triple-double. In addition to the points, she pulled down 16 rebounds and had nine steals.

Nancy Ruholl was also in double figures, finishing with 22 points. And Ruholl also had a double-double, grabbing 13 rebounds. St. Anthony forced Shelbyville into 27 turnovers.

The Lady Bulldogs improved to 11-5 on the season. They will play Saturday at Flora.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

And suddenly, it was a game.

Trailing virtually the entire game – by double digits on multiple occasions – the St. Anthony Bulldogs used a 39-second stretch to make it close.

But Highland – also with the nickname Bulldogs – made 8-of-10 free throws in the final 2:23 to stay ahead and ultimately get a 56-53 victory Saturday afternoon in the fifth place game of the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic.

With 3:40 left in the contest, Highland had a seemingly comfortable 48-38 lead. But St. Anthony’s Nick Ruholl hit a three-pointer. SAHS then forced two turnovers in a matter of 13 seconds and both were converted into scores – a short jumper by Brock Fearday and another three by Ruholl.

With 3:01 still remaining, the St. Anthony Bulldogs had closed to within 48-46.

“But there was still time to finish it off,” St. Anthony coach Cody Rincker said. “It’s so difficult to play at a traditional tempo then go to up-tempo and then have to dial it back again. My hat’s off to the boys for the way they competed and never gave up. In the end, we just didn’t make enough shots.”

After Collin Westendorf scored for SAHS, it was still a two-point margin, 50-48, with 1:53 to play. From that point on, Highland maintained its lead at the foul line. Grant Fleming went 4-for-4 in the final 40 seconds.

Brock Fearday kept St. Anthony within striking distance. He hit a jumper and then a long three with 18 seconds to play to keep the Bulldogs within two points, 55-53.

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