When the sledding gets tough, there's an intrinsic quality in great athletes that allows them to somehow negotiate the hill and finish the ride with a flourish.

DeSales sophomore guard Nick Kellogg already is displaying the kind of stuff legends are made of. And with his lineage, no one is the least bit surprised.

After a shaky start, Kellogg scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter of a Division II district semifinal as third-seeded DeSales fended off a valiant upset bid by Utica for a 65-55 victory last night in the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum.

Ineffective from the field, Kellogg used strength, quickness and determination to find his way to the basket for five driving layups in the fourth quarter. When he touched the ball, there was no denying Kellogg, a son of former Ohio State great Clark Kellogg and brother of two major college athletes.

"I knew I had to get into a rhythm somehow and the best way was to start going to the rack and stop settling for jumpers," Kellogg said.

Stallions coach Blair Albright said Kellogg showed his basketball savvy.

"When you're in a situation where you're struggling, the natural inclination is to force things, but the most logical way is to go back to basics and let it happen," he said. "I'm proud of the way all of the guys, Nick included, reacted when we were barely hanging on."

DeSales (19-3) will shoot for its third straight district title at 9 p.m. Friday against second-seeded Eastmoor Academy (19-2).

Nick Goff had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Stallions, who trailed 30-28 at halftime and couldn't finish off the Redskins until the final minute.

Zack Walton had 25 points for Utica (19-3), which shot just 33 percent from the field and was outrebounded 50-32.

Trailing by five, the Redskins missed back-to-back shots at 50 and 45 seconds that sealed their fate.

"We were able to sustain our effort against their athleticism for a long time and we had the pace of the game where we wanted it much of the game, but as things wore on, eventually DeSales' athleticism took over," Utica coach Mike Delaney said. "There at the end, Kellogg showed the kind of player he's going to be."