ALBANY – First, Bill Dressel did something he usually doesn’t do.

Wednesday, February 21, 2001

ALBANY – First, Bill Dressel did something he usually doesn’t do. Then he did something he does quite often.

Dressel, a guard, posted up in two overtime periods and scored 10 points during that time including a three-point play with 11 seconds left to give the St. Joe Flyers a 55-52 win over the South Gallia Rebels in the Division IV sectional semifinals.

With game game tied at 52 in the second overtime, Joey Laber made an excellent entry pass to Dressel who scored and was fouled. He made the free throw to put the lead at three and the Rebels Kyle Mooney and Trevor Shaffer each missed potential game-tying 3-pointers.

"It’s something I haven’t done much of this year," Dressel said of his post-up game. "But my teammates got me the ball and that was the key. Everyone played real well. They stepped up when they had to and didn’t fold down the stretch."

Dressel finished with 26 points and 15 rebounds, both game highs, as St. Joe advanced to play No. 1 seed Reedsville Eastern at 6:15 p.m. Saturday.

Laber had 12 points and five rebounds, Shawn Hacker came off the bench to score 11 points and get five rebounds, and Chris Laber had nine rebounds for St. Joe (4-17).

Mooney led South Gallia with 16 points, but only eight in regulation. Shane Stephenson had nine rebounds and eight points while Jason Merritt scored nine.

The Rebels (3-18) were just 4-of-25 from 3-point range.

"To be able to win in overtime is big for us," Flyers coach Kevin Sheridan said. "We got down in both overtimes and we came back. Typically during the season when were got down we would have folded."

Dressel hit a couple of 3-pointers the first quarter but South Gallia took a 12-10 lead.

Hacker came off the bench and scored six points the second quarter and Joey Laber had seven as St. Joe rallied to take a 23-19 halftime lead.

Neither team got going the third quarter as each scored six points and it was 29-25.

Dressel hit a 3-pointer to give St. Joe a 37-31 lead with 3:50 left in regulation. South Gallia got within 37-36 on a 25-footer by Trevor Shaffer and a baseline jumper by Mickie Massie.

Another 3-pointer by Dressel put the lead at 40-36. Merritt’s 18-footer cut the lead in half and, after a St. Joe turnover, Stephenson hit two foul shots the game with 39 seconds left and that’s the way the regulation ended.

Mooney got open on an inbounds play and hit a 3-pointer to start the first overtime. The Flyers were down 47-44 when Dressel converted a 3-point play with 58 seconds on the clock that tie the game and sent it to a second overtime

Mooney’s 25-foot 3-pointer started the quarter, but Hacker buried a 3-pointer to tie the game and then Dressel’s layup with 58 seconds left put the Flyers ahead.

"Shawn hit a big 3, and then Bill made another 3-point play. We just kept making big plays," said Sheridan.

Merritt scored inside to tie the game with 32 seconds left, but Dressel took a fee from Joey Laber to Dressel who scored a 3-point play with 11 seconds to go.

With the win, St. Joe has a tough assignment against Reedsville Eastern, the only team to deal Chesapeake a loss this season.

Sheridan won’t concede defeat.

"There’s not doubt we’ve got a tough job ahead of us. Eastern is a very good team. They have some athletes," said Sheridan.

"But this was a good win for us. Any time you can win a tournament game it has to help your confidence. We came up here the last two years with good teams and didn’t win in the tournament. We’ve got a few days to prepare and then we’ll just see what happens."