Vermilion looked as if it might finally test DeSales yesterday in a Division II regional final at Bowling Green State University. The Sailors weren't afraid to be physical, nor were they hesitant about taking the ball to the basket when their outside shots wouldn't fall.

Those attributes kept the game close for a quarter. Then, DeSales took off. Using its speed and defense, it outscored Vermilion by 13 points in the second quarter for a 16-point halftime lead.

The cushion held up, even as Vermilion cut the lead to 10 points in the fourth quarter. DeSales ended with another run and won 84-64 for its third regional championship in the past four seasons.

DeSales (22-3) will play Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (21-4) in a state semifinal at 2 p.m. Friday in Value City Arena.

"When you look at that last spurt of the second quarter, that really was the difference-maker in the game," DeSales coach Blair Albright said. "The ability to make that run was huge for us because we were able to do that with some of our major guys sitting down on the bench."

DeSales was missing some key players at times, most notably center Ike Ariguzo, because of the physical nature of the game. Forty-three fouls were called and 52 free throws were attempted.

But the Stallions overcame the Sailors' rugged style with their depth and penetrating guards. Chris Rock filled in for Ariguzo and scored 11 points. He was one of five players to score in double figures. Nick Goff had 15, and Nick Kellogg had 14.

Most points came on layups after DeSales beat Vermilion's trapping defense or created turnovers. The Stallions scored 52 points in the lane and had 21 assists.

"We really stress getting up into guys and really making them uncomfortable handling the ball," Kellogg said. "They didn't have a lot of guards on the floor at any one time, so when we were able to pressure them, it was successful for us."

That was apparent in the second quarter when DeSales gradually pulled away. It took a double-digit lead with 3:35 left on a three-point play by Rock. In the final minute, Kellogg made two free throws, Zak Gaborcik had a three-pointer and Chi-Chi Ariguzo a layup as time expired.

DeSales finished the third quarter with a similar spurt to go ahead 60-41. Vermilion (17-8) used a 7-0 spurt to pull to 66-56 with 5:23 remaining, but the Sailors wouldn't get any closer.

"(Vermilion) continued to make runs at us, but I was proud of the way our guys continued to respond," Albright said. "We didn't play perfectly, that's for sure. But when we had our backs against the wall, we found a way to make plays and we did it with balance, which was the most rewarding thing."