CUBA, Mo. - Patrick Schnieders hit three early 3-pointers to give the Fatima Comets a 9-0 lead Saturday night against the St. James Tigers.
The Class 3 District 8 Tournament title game was all but over.
"You could see the eyes of the other guys light up," Fatima coach Ryan Roertson said after the Comets rolled to a 65-37 victory against the Tigers. "They just followed suit."
With the win, Fatima (25-1, ranked No. 4) advances to take on Hartville (23-4) in the sectionals Wednesday night. Game time is 6 p.m. at Missouri S&T in Rolla.
Fatima used that early spurt to take a 22-10 lead after one quarter. The Comets stretched their advantage to 34-12 at the half against a team that had scored 104 points in its semifinal Friday night.
"We knew we couldn't play the tempo they played in that game," Robertson said. "Our guys did a great job of playing the type of game we wanted to play."
Schnieders finished with 27 points for Fatima. Tom Zeilman added 13 for the Comets, while Tanner Gentges added 10 points while dishing out seven assists. Chad Stegeman led Fatima with nine rebounds.