WILLARD — Isaac Blair poured in 25 points and South Central’s defense squeezed Lucas at the other end of the floor to fuel the Trojans’ 44-41 district semifinal victory on Tuesday night at Willard High School.
Sam Seidel chipped in seven points for S.C., while Hagen Adams and Brandon Mitchell added six points apiece.
The contest was tight throughout, with Lucas forging a 12-11 first-quarter lead. Then the see-saw began. Third-seeded South Central moved on top 22-21 at halftime, and the Cubs muscled in front 32-31 at the end of the third period.
The final eight minutes were close, too, but the Trojans came out on top to reach Friday’s 7 p.m. district final against top-seeded Margaretta (21-3). The Polar Bears dominated Monroeville 57-43 in Tuesday night’s second game.
Coach Brett Seidel’s squad improved to 18-7 and avenged a 41-33 loss at Lucas on Dec. 18.
Ty Lehnhart topped the Cubs with 23 points, while Andrew Smollen contributed 10 points. The second-seeded Cubs finished the season with a 19-5 record.
This will be South Central’s third trip to the district title game in the past four years, but they have a tall task against Margaretta. The Polar Bears handled the Trojans 69-51 on Jan. 22 in Castalia.
