LINN, Mo. - Based on their first matchup this season, the Blair Oaks Falcons knew it wasn't going to be easy getting past the Linn Wildcats in the first round of district play.
Linn only trailed by three points entering the fourth quarter Wednesday, but Trent Martin and Eric Northweather combined to score 23 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Falcons to a 73-58 victory in the Class 3 District 9 Tournament.
On Jan. 25 in Wardsville, Blair Oaks and Linn traded the lead six times in the first quarter before the Falcons created some cushion in the second and third quarters in a 58-40 win.
It took Blair Oaks, the No. 2 seed, until the fourth quarter to pull away from seventh-seeded Linn on Wednesday.
The Falcons led 21-17 after the first quarter, 33-26 at halftime and 45-42 entering the fourth after Linn outscored Blair Oaks 16-12 in the third.
Martin scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, while Northweather tallied 11 of his game-high 32 points in the final eight minutes.
Caleb Maassen scored 18 points and Jackson Voss added 14 for Linn, which ends its season at 15-11.
Blair Oaks (21-5), winners of 15 straight games, will face third-seeded Southern Boone at 6 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. The Eagles defeated sixth-seeded South Callaway 67-35 Wednesday.
Top-seeded Father Tolton defeated eighth-seeded Fatima 56-40 Wednesday to advance to the semifinals. The Trailblazers will take on fourth-seeded North Callaway at 7:30 p.m. Friday.