RONAN - Pick a cliché, any cliché: the Ronan Chiefs had one game

for all the marbles, win or go home on Tuesday, Feb. 14 and had one

of their best games of the season in a do-or-die situation.

Carston Baertsch had 12 points, Edmond Dupuis added 10 and five

other Chiefs reached the scoring column as Ronan defeated the

Mission Bulldogs in a make-or-break game with the season on the

line 46-27.

RONAN - Pick a cliché, any cliché: the Ronan Chiefs had one game for all the marbles, win or go home on Tuesday, Feb. 14 and had one of their best games of the season in a do-or-die situation.

Carston Baertsch had 12 points, Edmond Dupuis added 10 and five other Chiefs reached the scoring column as Ronan defeated the Mission Bulldogs in a make-or-break game with the season on the line 46-27.

"We had intensity," Ronan head coach Steve Woll said. "The last game against them was a good wake-up call for us. We have to play every game, not just step onto the court."

And come to play the Chiefs did. After a tightly-contested first quarter that saw Ronan lead just 11-10, the Chiefs pulled away over the next two periods, outscoring the Bulldogs 24-11 to lead 35-21 and kept the pedal to the metal in the fourth to move onto the District 6-B Tournament.

There, Ronan opened up play against the Florence Falcons and hung around for three quarters before falling 51-35 on Friday, Feb. 17.

"We played very well against Florence, but we couldn't catch a break," Woll said. "Anything that could go against us did, but our kids did a great job."

True to form, the Chiefs used a balanced scoring attack, getting eight points from Zach Wagner and seven apiece from Baertsch and Marley Tanner. Ronan trailed just 8-7 after the first, but Florence outscored the Chiefs 23-11 in the second to take a double-digit lead into halftime.

An 8-3 third quarter got Ronan within single digits, but unable to catch a couple breaks, they couldn't close the gap.

The next night in the consolation matchup, the offense got into more of a rhythm, but a nine-point first half deficit was too much for the Chiefs to overcome in a 56-46 loss to the Loyola Sacred Heart Rams.

"Saturday, we didn't play well, but we still had our chances," Woll said.

For the second straight game, Ronan stayed within striking distance, trailing by just two points after one and by six after three, but they couldn't quite crawl back and will be the 6-B's fourth seed at the divisional tournament this weekend in Hamilton.

Wagner again led the Chiefs, this time with 10 points, while Dupuis and Brady Oakland each notched eight for Ronan.

Heading back to Hamilton this weekend, Woll said that the teams has a few areas that they need to address, but if they can fix those things, will be heard from.

"We're going to have to win the turnover battle," Woll said. "Not just cut ours down, but force some as well. We also need to out-rebound or stay close in that area and get to the free throw line and make them when we do.

"We need to play spirited Chiefs basketball and get after it."

The divisional tournament begins Wednesday in Hamilton.

MISSION @ RONAN

Mission - 10 - 6 - 5 - 6 - 27

Ronan - 11 - 15 - 9 - 11 - 46

Chiefs scoring - Carston Baertsch 12, Edmond Dupuis 10, Brady Oakland 9, Marcus Hungerford 5, Marley Tanner 4, Chris Clary 4, Robbie Gauthier 2

RONAN VS FLORENCE

Ronan - 7 - 11 - 8 - 9 - 35

Florence - 8 - 23 - 3 - 17 - 51

Chiefs scoring - Zach Wagner 8, Carston Baertsch 7, Marley Tanner 7, Edmond Dupuis 5, Robbie Gauthier 3, Brady Oakland 2, Chris Clary 2, Marcus Hungerford 1

RONAN VS LOYOLA

Ronan - 11 - 14 - 13 - 8 - 46

Loyola - 13 - 21 - 10 - 12 - 56

Chiefs scoring - Zach Wagner 10, Edmond Dupuis 8, Brady Oakland 8, Marcus Hungerford 7, Robbie Gauthier 6, Marley Tanner 3, Chris Clary 2, Robert Faoa 2