Bernie's Silas Dill, left, takes the ball into the paint as Campbell's Jake Tinnon tries to draw a charge Thursday during the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 semifinal at Holcomb. Dill scored 16 points as the Mules advanced to the final. (Brad Hurt/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By BRAD HURT ~ DAR Sports Writer

HOLCOMB -- Although they stood only one win away from reaching the district championship game Thursday night, the Bernie Mules knew they couldn't look too far ahead.

Their opponents, the Campbell Camels, made sure the Mules had to give everything they had to pull out a 73-60 win that sent them into the MSHSAA Class 2 District 1 final against Hayti.

"I haven't looked at a Hayti tape or talked to the kids about Hayti because I knew this game would be awfully tough to win," Bernie coach Brad Botsch said.

The Camels (16-10) rallied from a 10-point third-quarter deficit and had a chance to take a fourth-quarter lead before Bernie's Jake Owens knocked down a 3-pointer to push the Mules' advantage to 60-56 with 3:29 remaining in the game.

"We executed," Campbell coach Steve Fowler said of his team's late charge. "We went through a spell there late in the third quarter where we didn't get a whole lot done on offense.

"In the fourth quarter we were hitting our spots on offense and getting a lot of good looks."

The Mules (23-5) converted 7-of-9 free throws in the final quarter, including the completion of a 3-point play by Silas Dill to make it a two-possession game with 1:25 remaining.

Campbell's Cale Weeks finished with a game-high 22.

Zach Curry led the Mules with 21 points, while Dill had a big night, scoring 16 points and coming up with a pair of crucial blocked shots in the fourth quarter with the Camels trying to even the score.

"He and Jake Smith turned it up a little bit inside," Botsch said of Dill.

Botsch said the Mules' late success came as a result of their transition offense and post play.

"We got the ball inside to Silas Dill and it really helped us," he said. "We had a couple of runouts and breakaway layups, and those are always easy baskets."

Bernie's defense forced 17 first-half turnovers, but Campbell hung around thanks to the Mules' inability to knock down shots.

"I really felt like we didn't shoot the ball well tonight," Botsch said. "I think we made two 3s all night."

Fowler said his team made minor changes on defense in preparation for Thursday's contest.

"We kind of tweaked a few things yesterday in practice and it really paid off," he said. "We wanted to work on crowding the shooter and make them put it on the floor."

The Mules, who are normally an above-average perimeter shooting team, did in fact only make a pair of 3s, with Curry's third-quarter 3 being the only other successful attempt before Ownes connected.

The Camels trailed 16-13 after the first quarter and scored six of the first eight points in the second to claim a 19-18 lead with 5:21 remaining before halftime.

That advantage was shortlived, however, as the Mules outscored the Camels 18-7 to go into halftime up 36-26.

Bernie made 12-of-20 free throws in the second quarter alone as the first half featured physical play on both ends of the floor.