CASTALIA — Margaretta showed Saturday night it belongs on the floor with the best teams in the state. The Division V No. 3 Polar Bears erased a double-digit deficit in the second half and had a chance to pull off a marquee win, but ultimately fell 54–50 to Division III No. 1 Toledo Central Catholic at the Tourney Tune-Up inside the Iceberg. Margaretta trailed by 10 points in the third quarter before responding with its best stretch of basketball. A 3-pointer from Julian Washington late in the period sparked the comeback and trimmed the deficit to 44–38 heading into the fourth quarter. The Irish attempted to slow the game early in the final frame, bleeding more than two minutes off the clock before a missed shot. Margaretta capitalized on the opportunity. Judah Keller scored on the other end, and after a turnover, Washington attacked the basket to make it a two-point game at 44–42 with 5:09 remaining. Central Catholic answered out of a timeout, and second-chance opportunities proved decisive. Kaeden Carruthers converted a putback to push the lead back to six, and continued to control the paint throughout the fourth quarter. Carruthers finished with 14 points and 17 rebounds and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Margaretta set the tone early behind a strong opening quarter. Tyson Bailey scored the Polar Bears’ first six points and later knocked down a jumper from the foul line to give Margaretta a 15–9 advantage. The Bears did not trail in the opening eight minutes and carried a 17–14 lead after one. The momentum shifted in the second quarter as Central Catholic found success from beyond the arc. Four different Irish players connected from deep, with a late triple giving TCC a 28–25 edge. Buckets by Carruthers and Dre Wardrop extended the lead to 32–27 at halftime. Out of the break, Margaretta struggled to find offensive rhythm, missing its first seven shots of the third quarter. The Irish took advantage, stretching the margin to 38–28 before the Polar Bears regrouped and closed the quarter strong. Washington led all scorers with 26 points, consistently creating offense against a physical defense. Tyson Bailey added 10 points, while Judah Keller chipped in nine as Margaretta matched the top-ranked Irish field goal for field goal. The performance served as a measuring stick for the Polar Bears as the postseason approaches, reinforcing both their competitiveness and areas for growth against elite opposition. Margaretta returns to Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division play Friday night when the Polar Bears host Vermilion. MARGARETTA (14-3) Kale Bailey 1 0-0 3, Keiygan Morris 0 0-0 0, Julian Washington 11 1-2 26, Judah Keller 4 1-3 9, Tyson Bailey 5 0-0 10, Jake Bouy 0 2-2 2. TOTALS 21 4-7 50 Central Catholic 14 18 12 10 — 54 Margaretta 17 10 11 12 — 50 Highlights: Click Here