Sevastopol and N.E.W. Lutheran pushed the game down to the wire after plenty of missed free throws in the final minutes.

 

A miss at the free-throw line with 7.5 seconds left allowed the Blazers, who trailed by one, an opportunity for a shot to win, but strong defense forced it errant and the Pioneers held on for a 56-55 victory.

 

Erasing a six-point halftime deficit, Sevastopol exchanged the lead with N.E.W. multiple times throughout the game but ultimately held on when it mattered most.

 

The Pioneers forced a turnover with nine seconds left and were fouled to create a bonus free-throw opportunity to try to pull away further.

 

Although Sevastopol didn’t convert at the line the way it would have liked, the Pioneers were able to pull out a road win over the Blazers, continuing the trend of following a loss with a win.

 

Andrew Wiesner led the way with 25 points, while Logan Schuh chipped in 13 points and Bo Tanck added 11 points.

 

Sevastopol, the No. 10 seed, will look to build momentum when it faces No. 7 seed Hilbert in another road matchup March 3 in the first round of the Division 5 playoffs. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.