LUCASVILLE – There was no greater motivation Tuesday night for ninth-seeded East than what happened four days prior against New Boston.

In the Divison IV Southeast Sectional Semifinal, the Tartans got their revenge with a 59-49 win over the eighth-seeded Tigers and advancing to next Wednesday night's championship game against top-seeded Manchester. In Friday night's matchup, New Boston won by 35, making it a regular season sweep for the Tigers.

“We knew that we were better than that,” East coach Adam Bailey said. “We knew that we shouldn't have been beaten like that.”

After three times in the fist quarter, a Nathan King field goal put the Tartans up 9-8 after one quarter and never trailed the rest of the way. Bailey credited a tight defense to East's success.

“I thought we did an excellent job in the first half the way we started defensively,” Bailey said. “I was real proud of the effort that our kids gave. They did a great job of boxing out, which we told them was going to be the key going was how well we played defensively.”

The defensive end won it for the Tartans. East outrebounded New Boston 34-22 and the Tartans forced the Tigers into 11 turnovers.

New Boston was able to tie the game at 31-31 in the third quarter after Levi Horsley connected on a 3-pointer. It would be the last time the Tigers were close as East went on a 13-0 run that spanned the end of the third quarter and almost half of the fourth. The Tartans' lead never went below nine.

“I was real proud of the way we responded to it,” Bailey said. “...We tried to pound the ball inside, get the ball to the basket and we did a good job. I was just real proud of the way they responded.”

Three players, led by Cory Haywood's 15 points, helped pace East to just its third win of the season. Friday night, the Tartans lost by 35 to New Boston.

Horsley led all scorers with 21 points in a losing effort.



CODY LEIST can be reached at cleist@heartlandpublications.com or by phone at (740) 353-3101 ext. 242.



East 9 15 11 23 – 59

New Boston 8 8 15 18 – 49

East – King 2 1 5, Belveal 1 0 2, Crager 2 5 10, Toller 3 4 11, Evans 2 3 8, Haywood 7 1 15, Marcum 2 0 4, Bias 2 0 4, Totals 21 14 59.

New Boston – Buckley 6 3 16, Mohr 1 1 3, Branham 0 3 3, Spears 2 0 6, Horsley 8 3 21, Totals 17 10 49.

3-Pointers – East 3 (Crager, Toller, Evans); New Boston 5 (Spears 2, Horsley 2, Buckley).

Records – East 3-18; New Boston 5-16