LADY BEARS WIN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! BLUFFTON, Ohio (AP) — Margaretta relied on defense, patience and clutch free-throw shooting in the final minute Saturday night to capture a Division VI regional championship. The second-ranked Lady Bears closed the game with six consecutive free throws to defeat Patrick Henry 37-31 at Bluffton University, earning a return trip to the state tournament for the first time since the program reached Dayton when the team’s current seniors were freshmen. Margaretta improved to 26-1 and will face Canton Central Catholic (22-5) in a state semifinal at 7 p.m. Thursday at Wright State University. The game remained tight throughout before Margaretta pulled away late at the foul line. The Lady Bears were 8-of-13 from the free-throw line entering the final minute before converting their last six attempts to seal the victory. Freshman Renna Keller sparked the decisive stretch. Inserted into the game after Patrick Henry committed its fourth team foul of the fourth quarter, Keller was fouled after an inbounds play that drained about 10 seconds off the clock. She calmly converted both free throws to give Margaretta a 33-29 lead with 1:05 remaining. Patrick Henry struggled to create a quick scoring opportunity on the next possession and missed a shot. Cassidy Lane secured the rebound and got the ball to Ellyse Schaefer, who was fouled and made two free throws with 29.1 seconds left to extend the lead to six. The Patriots then committed one of their 12 turnovers, and Lane was fouled shortly afterward. She added two more free throws to push the margin to 37-29 and effectively clinch the regional title. Patrick Henry’s Ada Christman scored late, but Margaretta used a timeout and ran out the final 6.7 seconds to secure the win and punch its ticket back to Dayton. The contest unfolded at a deliberate pace, with Margaretta intentionally slowing the tempo against the athletic Patriots. Neither team scored for the first several minutes before Lane finally broke the drought with a basket with 4:22 left in the first quarter. Patrick Henry responded with a 3-pointer from Ella Christman, but it would be the Patriots’ only basket of the opening period. Kenadie Saylor added a basket and Lane made one free throw to give Margaretta a 5-3 lead after the first quarter. Patrick Henry briefly grabbed the lead in the second quarter when Carys Crossland scored on a putback to make it 9-7. Margaretta answered with a 9-2 run that included a putback by Lane and a three-point play from Lillian Belak. The Lady Bears carried a 16-13 advantage into halftime. Patrick Henry mounted a push in the third quarter and eventually moved ahead 20-18 before Margaretta answered. Schaefer, who started slowly offensively, was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made two of three free throws to tie the game at 20. Later, with the Patriots leading 24-22, Schaefer drilled a 3-pointer to give Margaretta the lead before Lane added a basket at the buzzer. Patrick Henry regained momentum early in the fourth quarter and moved ahead 29-27. Saylor split a pair of free throws before Schaefer connected on another 3-pointer to give Margaretta a 31-29 lead — the advantage it would hold the rest of the way. Lane led the Lady Bears with 11 points and eight rebounds. Schaefer finished with 10 points, including two 3-pointers, while Saylor added eight points. Keller contributed two key free throws late in the fourth quarter. Margaretta finished the game 10-of-25 from the field and 14-of-19 at the free-throw line while making three shots from beyond the arc. Patrick Henry (22-4) was led by Ada Christman and Carys Crossland, who each scored 11 points. The Patriots made 12-of-32 shots from the field and struggled at the free-throw line, converting just four of 10 attempts. The Polar Bears connected on three 3 pointers, Schaefer hit two for Margaretta, with Saylor adding the other, With the win, Margaretta advances to the state semifinals where they will take on Canton Cnentral Catholic on Thursday night at 30 minutes Wright State and sits just one victory away from playing for a Division VI state championship. MARGARETTA (26-1) Lillian Belak 2 2-2 6, Ellaynah Schaefer 0 0-0 0, Cassidy Lane 3 5-6 11, Ellyse Schaefer 2 4-5 10, Kenadie Saylor 3 1-4 8, Renna Keller 0 2-2 2. TOTALS 10 14-19 37 PATRICK HENRY (22-4) Carys Crossland 3 4-6 11, Sophie Guelde 1 0-2 2, Ella Christman 1 0-0 3, Ada Christman 5 0-0 11, Kynli Crossland 1 0-0 2, Meyta Hieber 1 0-2 2. TOTALS 12 4-10 31 Margaretta 5 11 11 10 — 37 Patrick Henry 3 10 11 7 — 31 Three-point goals: Margaretta 3 (E. Schaefer 2, Saylor); Patrick Henry 3 (C. Crossland, E. Christman, A. Christman) BCSN NATION (HIGHLIGHTS): Click Here/ Sandusky Register Photos: Click Here/ Matt McKenzie Photos: Click Here