Cleveland's St. Ignatius Boys' Basketball team defeated the Delaware Hayes Pacers 54-53 during a down-to-the-wire game for the OHSAA Boys' Basketball Division I Tournament.
Junior forward Damon Friery was the Wildcats' leading scorer Saturday night with 16 points. Wildcats' junior guard and three-year varsity player Quinn Woidke followed with 15 points.
For the Pacers, junior small forward Landon Vanderwarker led the scoring for the team with 21 points. Senior shooting guard and Ohio University commit Jesse Burris played a vital role as well, scoring 17 points.
While the Pacers worked to gain their footing, St. Ignatius dominated in the first half, heading into the locker room leading 31-23.
However, the Pacers kicked into gear during the third quarter, finishing the quarter with a 43-39 lead.
But it all came down to the last two minutes.
The teams stayed neck and neck throughout the fourth quarter; the Pacers clung to their one-point lead until the last 13 seconds when Wildcats' Quinn Woidke took the shot that put them in the lead and landed them a spot in the championship game.
The Pacers closed out their season and first state appearance, ending the 21-game winning streak they maintained throughout the 2024 season.
The Wildcats are on their eighth trip to state, and they will now face the winner of the Centerville-Whitmer game, who play at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
The State Championship will take place on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. in the University of Dayton Arena.
