WESTPHALIA -- The Fatima Comets set the tone early.
Very early.
Cooper Kleffner drilled a 3-pointer on the first possession of the game -- one of 11 from deep the Comets would hit Wednesday night -- as Fatima rolled past the Fulton Hornets 75-52 in the semifinals of the Class 4 District 9 Tournament.
“There was a flow, there was an instant flow,” Fatima coach Ryan Robertson said.
With the win, second-seeded Fatima (21-6) advances to take on top-seeded Father Tolton (18-9) for the district title at 6 p.m. Friday. Tolton, ranked No. 6 in the state, advanced with a 56-34 victory against Blair Oaks in Wednesday night’s first semifinal.
“It’s Father Tolton, one of the best teams in Missouri,” Robertson said. “We’re going to have to play well again, but our kids believe. We’ll show up fighting.
“We’re not going to change, we’re going to do what we do.”
Fatima never trailed Wednesday night and the game was tied just once, that coming when Donovan Weigel hit a 3-pointer on Fulton’s first possession. The Comets then rattled off the next six points to take the lead for good.
The final three of that run came on a 3-pointer by Nate Brandt. It was the first of eight 3-pointers the senior hit in the contest.
“Ol’ Nate had a game,” Robertson said. “He’s been a gamer all his career and tonight was one of those nights.”
Fatima led by as many as 12 points in the opening eight minutes and took a 23-13 advantage into the second quarter.
Fatima committed just one turnover in the first quarter.
“We valued the ball, we did a good job of moving it around and getting some easy baskets out of it,” Robertson said.
Getting off to a great start was a goal for the Comets.
“We wanted to play the way we’ve played all year,” Robertson said. “We were getting out in transition, we were rebounding and getting it down the floor.
“When we run and we play with pace, we play better.”
The Hornets got to within single digits just once the remainder of the game, that coming at 25-16 in the opening minute of the second quarter on a 3-pointer by Walker Gohring.
“Gohring has to be one of the best guards in Class 4 in the state, no question,” Robertson said.
Haslag and Jack Robertson traded off defensive duties on Gohring, who scored just four of his 12 points in the game after that 3-pointer.
“They did a great job,” Ryan Robertson said. “You know you’re not going to shut him down, but you want to wear on him a little bit.”
Another 3-pointer by Brandt sparked the Comets on a 12-1 run in the next four-plus minutes to make it 37-17. The Hornets closed the half by scoring six of the last eight points to cut its deficit to 39-23 going into intermission.
“You thought, ‘Here they come,’” Robertson said.
But the Comets made sure the Hornets didn’t carry any momentum into the start of the second half. Fatima outscored Fulton 11-6 in the first four minutes to extend its lead to 50-29. The teams traded points in the final four minutes as Fatima took a 58-39 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Fatima led by as many as 26 points in the fourth quarter, that coming at 73-47 with 3:27 remaining.
Colby Lancaster finished with 13 points to lead third-seeded and fifth-ranked Fulton with 13 points. Weigel added 10.
Brandt totaled 33 points for the Comets, finishing 12-of-15 from the field while hitting his only free throw.
“He’s very confident in a good way,” Robertson said. “He doesn’t lead with a lot of words, but his teammates feel his belief and it’s so contagious. When you feel that way, you feel like you can beat anybody.”
Easton Haslag added 20 points for Fatima, while Levi Robinson chipped in with 10.
Fatima will be looking to win its first district title since 2016.