By Drew Terhall

DailyAdvocate.com

CLAYTON — The Tri-Village High School boys basketball team is heading to the Southwest Division III District final after a close 53-49 win over WOAC rival Dixie at Northmont High School on Feb. 25.

Head coach Josh Sagester said they knew it was going to be a battle heading into this one. The Patriots were able to make enough shots in the fourth quarter to come away with a win.

“We know it’s not going to be easy. Nobody gets to this stage and just rolls over. We’re very fortunate to make some shots in the fourth quarter to give us some breathing room,” Sagester said.

The Patriots had a 20-11 lead at halftime. Both teams had their fair share of missed shots and were playing physical defense.

Tri-Village only outscored Dixie 7-5 in the second quarter. The Patriots had five made free throws in the quarter. Both teams didn’t allow much offense to get past them early.

Then the third quarter was all Dixie. They went on a 14-2 run to gain a 25-22 lead. Junior Tanner Printz picked up his fourth foul early in the quarter as well.

Sagester said Dixie is not an easy matchup as they have a bunch of skilled, athletic guys who have the green light to go score. The shooting of Dixie showed up in the third quarter. They had four made threes in the quarter.

After the run, both teams resumed scrapping for points. The Greyhounds had a 27-26 lead after the third quarter.

Tri-Village returned the favor to start fourth quarter as they went on an 8-0 run to start the final quarter. The offense started to click and the team was starting to make baskets.

Freshman Trey Sagester helped jump start the offense with three made threes in the fourth quarter. He started the run and got the Patriots back on track.

Sagester said he would like to see more consistent scoring from the older guys on the team. He also said it’s a big ask for the freshman to get the team going offensively, especially when they get deeper into the playoffs.

“We got some guys that have a lot of experience here. We played in a lot bigger game than a district semifinal in this program and those guys included. They got to be able to step up and make a few shots,” Sagester said.

Some of the guys were not 100% and missed some easy shots. Sagester said a few players had to battle through some things and it showed.

The Patriots did get out to a double-digit lead during the fourth quarter. That lead helped them hold of the Greyhounds as they made a late run at the end of the game.

Senior Wilson Suggs led the team with 16 points. Senior Justin Finkbine had 12 points and Trey Sagester had 11.

The Patriots will head to the University of Dayton to take on Greeneview in the District final.

Contact Daily Advocate sports editor Drew Terhall at [email protected]