Basketball

Miles Waldhoff came off the bench to spark a first-quarter surge that helped carry the St. Anthony Bulldogs to a 59-41 win Tuesday night at Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City.

The junior reserve connected on three shots from behind the arc to score nine points in the first eight minutes. Brock Fearday also drilled a three and scored nine points, as the Bulldogs broke out to a 22-13 advantage. It was a nine-point spread, 34-25, at intermission.

In the third period, Ryan Schmidt tallied 10 points and the Bulldogs went on a 15-8 surge to expand their lead to 16 points, 49-33.

Schmidt led three players in double figures with 17 points. Waldhoff finished with 15 and Fearday added 10.

The Bulldogs improved to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in the National Trail Conference. They will return home Friday for another NTC matchup, hosting Brownstown/St. Elmo. It will be Homecoming Night at St. Anthony.

Nancy Ruholl scored 20 points Monday night, leading the St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs to a 44-36 victory at Altamont.

Ruholl got off to a hot start, connecting on a pair of three-pointers and pumping in 10 first-quarter points, helping SAHS build a 16-6 lead after the opening eight minutes.

Even though St. Anthony led throughout, the Lady Indians stayed within striking distance the entire game. The Lady Bulldogs led 25-17 at halftime. Both teams scored 19 points in the second half.

Ady Rios scored nine points and Addi Nuxoll added six for St. Anthony. Avery Aldrich led Altamont with 10.

The Lady Bulldogs, who improved to 8-1 overall and 3-0 in the National Trail Conference, will return to action Thursday. They will host CHBC in another NTC matchup.

The St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs used a big second and third quarter to grab control of the game and pull away for a 62-34 win Thursday night at Windsor/Stew Stras.

SAHS held a slim 17-13 lead after the opening eight minutes, but then seized total control. Ady Rios scored 10 points in the second period, sparking a 19-8 scoring spree and sending the Lady Bulldogs to the locker room with a 36-21 advantage at intermission.

Rios scored six more points in the third period and Lilly Gannaway knocked down a three-pointer and tallied five points, as St. Anthony outscored WSS 20-8 and expanded its lead to 56-29 heading into the final quarter. The Lady Bulldogs outscored the Lady Hatchets 39-16 over the middle two quarters.

Rios finished with a game-high 18 points. Gannaway scored 11 points and Nancy Ruholl added 10.

The Lady Bulldogs improved to 7-1 overall and 2-0 in the National Trail Conference. They also found out Thursday they were the No. 2 ranked team by AP in the first Class 1A Poll of the year. Okawville, the two-time defending state champion, was ranked No. 1.

St. Anthony will return to action Monday night, traveling to Altamont for another NTC contest.

St. Anthony basketball coach Cody Rincker described Friday night’s game as “an opportunity to learn and grow.”

And every coach will admit it’s a lot more fun to learn after a win rather than a loss.

The Bulldogs, behind an early scoring barrage from their two all-state players, built a lead, expanded it to as many as 15 points, but then had to hang on to come away with a 64-58 victory at North Clay.

Ryan Schmidt and Brock Fearday were red hot to begin the game. Schmidt knocked down three shots from long range and scored 17 points and Fearday added two more threes and netted 12. The pair combined to score all 29 first-period points, helping the Bulldogs open a 29-15 edge.

Fearday nailed another three and scored seven points in the second period, helping St. Anthony take a double-digit lead, 40-28, into the locker room at halftime. Both Schmidt and Fearday had 19 points at intermission.

“Those two guys were on a mission to start the game,” Rincker noted.

It was Schmidt’s turn in the third period. The senior made two more shots from long range and scored eight points. Heading into the final eight minutes, the Bulldogs had a seemingly comfortable 13-point advantage, 54-41.

But the host Cardinals refused to go away.