OA-BCIG 55, Lawton-Bronson 37

Beating a team three times in a season can be difficult, but OA-BCIG pulled it off.

Third-ranked OA-BCIG got balanced scoring and played solid defense in defeating Lawton-Bronson 55-37 on Monday night in a first-round Class 2A game.

It was a matchup of two opponents who know each other well. OA-BCIG beat Lawton-Bronson twice during the regular season, 56-42 and 54-38.

With this latest victory, the Falcons move into a semifinal showdown at noon on Thursday with No. 2 Manson-Northwest Webster in yet another rematch. OA-BCIG beat Manson-Northwest Webster 52-46 in the third game of the regular-season. That has been the Cougars' only loss.

Ashley Zobel led the winners with 12 points, Katie Kallin scored 11 and Christine Bloyer and Morgan Olerich each had 10. Olerich came up huge on the boards with 16 rebounds.

The Falcons won handily even without a big game from leading scorer Jessie Pauley. Pauley, averaging 19 points a game, scored nine.

Erica Wordekemper led Lawton-Bronson with 11 points. Leah Miller added 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Eagles.

OA-BCIG is a merger of Odebolt-Arthur and Battle Creek-Ida Grove. The Falcons broke the game open with a 12-1 second quarter run that produced 27-12 lead. Lawton-Bronson responded with an 8-0 flurry to cut the deficit to 27-20 at halftime, but OA-BCIG answered with a 10-4 burst at the start of the third quarter to regain control.

OA-BCIG advances to Thursday's game with a 21-3 record. Lawton-Bronson finishes 18-8, with all but one loss coming to a ranked team.