ONTARIO --Ontario opened up their tournament journey at home against Bellevue with a chance to advance to the D2 sectional finals where the Warriors would clamp down late and defend Balogh Court 49-36.

 

It was a tight defensive contest through all 4 quarters as the #10 Redmen (5-14) played great defense to limit the 2nd-seeded Warriors star backcourt of Griffin Shaver and Kolton Kurtz for most of the night. Ontario led 9-6 after the first before Gage Weaver went on a 6-0 run himself to open things up in the 2nd, pushing the Warriors in front 25-17 at the half.

 

After the break, it was the same story as both squads couldn’t get the lid off the rim. Ontario went on a 6-0 run in the 3rd to make it the largest margin of the night, until the Redmen fired back with Grant Nichols draining a half-court buzzer-beating 3-pointer to close the gap to 5 entering the fourth.

 

Bellevue struggled to score in the 4th as Ontario’s defensive intensity turned up a notch to close out a win. Even with Shaver and Kurtz struggling, Ontario advances into the sectional finals where they will host cross-town rival Mansfield Senior on Friday at 7pm.