2A semis: St. Bernard's 68, Plainview-Elgin-Milville 61

St. Bernard's coach Ed Cassidy discouraged his players from taking three-pointers after halftime. But the Bulldogs hit four such shots in the span of seven possessions early in the second half, changing Cassidy's mind and the complexion of the game.

The three-pointers got No. 2 Plainview-Elgin-Millville out of its zone defense, freeing No. 3 St. Bernard's to utilize its superior quickness. Jordair Jett, who made two of those three-pointers, scored 20 of his 26 points and dished out six of his eight assists after halftime, leading his team to a 68-61 victory in Friday's first Class 2A semifinal at Target Center.

"We played well but they really played well," P-E-M coach Kirk Thompson said. "I thought we contested shots well, but great offense beat great defense tonight."

Trailing 31-26 at halftime, St. Bernard's (28-3) relied on Jett, a second-team All-Metro selection, to set the pace. He responded, scoring 11 points thanks to a pair of three-pointers and a three-point play before the second half was seven minutes old and tying the score at 41-41.

"Coach told us not to shoot but I was confident I could make them," said Jett, who missed all three of his three-point attempts in the first half.

His counterpart, P-E-M's Cole Olstad, did his best to match Jett's barrage. Olstad finished with a game-high 32 points, but his layup that put P-E-M (30-2) ahead 43-41 marked the last team his team would lead.

Trent Davis and Mike Weah each made a three during St. Bernard's ensuing 9-0 run. P-E-M came right back to score the next five points and trailed 50-48. Then Jett keyed a 7-0 run with six points, impressing players on both teams.

"He made some sweet moves," Olstad said. "Especially on that one when he went up with his right and switched to his left and still made the shot."