Villa Angela-St. Joseph (9-14) raced out to an early 17-6 lead and held off rallies by Norton (11-12) to win 50-43 and advance to Saturday’s sectional final against Elyria Catholic.
Junior Quandell Wright started off hot for the Vikings, finishing the first quarter with five points while applying tight defensive pressure to the Panthers guards. Trailing by 11 after one, junior Luke Dobbins had a big quarter for the Panthers, scoring six points and narrowing the gap to 27-22 at the break.
Neither squad could get anything going offensively in the third quarter, but VASJ extended their lead to 33-27 heading into the final frame. In the fourth, every time the Panthers got close, the Vikings hit a big shot to keep them at arm’s length. Sophomore Sean Shenker was on fire behind the arc for VASJ, knocking down four triples in the game.
Norton would stay close until the final seconds, but the Vikings converted their free throw opportunities to hold on for a 50-43 win. Up next for VASJ is a trip to Elyria Catholic (18-5) Saturday night for the sectional championship.
Keys to the Game
VASJ turned up the defensive pressure and got nice, open looks to race out to an early lead that proved too much for the Panthers to overcome. Norton would get within a single possession a few times throughout the game, but the Vikings held the lead from start to finish. In order to claim a sectional title against Elyria Catholic, VASJ will likely need another fast start.
Top Performers
Villa Angela-St. Joseph
Sean Shenker- 12 points 4-9 3pt
Brian Kortovich- 11 points 4-8 FG
Norton
Buddy Willig- 13 points 4-7 FG 5-6 FT
Luke Dobbins- 10 points 5-8 FG
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL | |
| VASJ | 17 | 10 | 5 | 18 | 50 |
| Norton | 6 | 16 | 6 | 15 | 43 |
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