The matchup between University School and St. Joseph Avon Lake opened with high energy and physicality on both ends. Each team battled hard on the boards, contesting every rebound and refusing to give up anything easy at the rim. St. Joseph opened with a full-court press, but University School handled it well, breaking through the pressure and settling into their offense.

The fast pace and tough defense from both sides led to plenty of fouls and turnovers in the early minutes. Both teams earned good looks around the basket, but the shots just wouldn’t fall. University’s defense, however, began to stand out — repeatedly deflecting passes and disrupting St. Joseph’s rhythm. Eventually, those stops turned into offense, as quick outlet passes and confident finishes helped University School build momentum.

By halftime, University School held an 18–7 lead, though St. Joseph delivered the highlight of the half with an incredible half-court buzzer-beater to add three points going into the break.

Coming out in the second half, University School continued to move the ball well, finding open shooters and knocking down clean looks. St. Joseph attacked the basket and earned trips to the free-throw line but struggled to convert, allowing University to extend its lead to 28–7 with 14:30 remaining. Despite the deficit, St. Joseph’s effort never wavered — diving for loose balls and forcing a key timeout after a hustle play with 11:24 left and the score at 30–7.

University School kept finding gaps in the defense, pushing the score to 42–13 with 5:30 to play. Even as the score tilted heavily, St. Joseph continued to compete, fighting for rebounds and playing tight defense until the final whistle.

Both teams battled hard from start to finish, but University School’s consistent defense and balanced offense carried them to a 46–16 victory.