HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Extending their defense extended the Chesapeake Panthers chances of winning the St. Joseph Invitational.

The Panthers, who have won the SJI the past 11 years, took away the 3-point shooting of the Huntington St. Joseph Fighting Irish’s Brian Miller and took a 51-49 win in the semifinals Wednesday.

Chesapeake (5-9) will play Fairland at 9 p.m. Friday in the championship game. Wayne faces St. Joseph at 7 p.m. in the consolation game.

Chesapeake went on an 8-0 run to start the game with Aaron Ross scoring first and then Mike Stapleton getting three layups.

But St. Joseph went on its own 8-0 stretch and Brian Miller hit four 3-pointers as the Irish came back to take a 14-12 lead.

The scoring slowed down in the second quarter with St. Joseph taking a 23-16 halftime lead, their biggest lead of the game.

Chesapeake’s defense held Miller scoreless in both the second and third quarters.

Ross made two layups and a 3-pointer to begin the second half as the Panthers tied the game. Chesapeake regained the lead at the 2:55 mark on a layup by Stapleton and never trailed again.

Leading 35-28 after three quarters, the Panthers took their biggest lead of the game at 40-30 with 6:28 left to play on a basket by Kyle Webb.

The Irish closed to within 47-45 on a 3-pointer by Miller with 57 seconds to go, but Webb and Stapleton made two foul shots each to seal the win.

Webb had 12 points, Ross 11 and Stapleton 10 to lead a balanced Chesapeake offense.

Miller finished with 20 points and Shandon Cihon had 10 for the Irish (5-6)

St. Joseph’s Khiry Sharp hit layup just before the buzzer to set the final score.

Chesapeake1241916=51

Hunt. St. Joe149521=49

CHESAPEAKE (5-9): Aaron Ross 11, Mike Stapleton 10, Marty Clay 3, Kyle Rase 5, Jonathan Greene 4, Aaron Donohoe 4, Kyle Webb 12, Travis Zimmerman 2.

HUNTINGTON ST. JOSEPH (5-6): Drew Skeens 9, Cody Bragg 2, Brian Miller 20, Shandon Cihon 10, Khiry Sharp 6, Lance West 2.