Darius Quisenberry scored a team high 21 points, while Malik Quisenberry added 20 to lead the Tecumseh boys’ basketball team past Belmont 65-57, in the opening round of the Buckeye Insurance Classic at Piqua High School last week.

That win set up a date in the finals against league foe and rival Tippecanoe, with the Red Devils coming out on top 48-47, making their late-January matchup the rubber match this season after each team has one victory.

Darius Quisenberry didn’t waste any time against Belmont, as he connected on a three in the games’ first 10 seconds, only to see Greg Rice answer one minute later for the Bison.

Belmont took a 7-5 lead with four minutes left in the opening period when Tecumseh hit a free throw, followed by a deep three from the corner by Brody Martin, giving the Arrows a 9-7 lead.

The rest of the opening period was a battle, with two ties and two lead changes. With Belmont leading with one minute left, Malik Quisenberry scored on a drive to tie game up then Darius Quisenberry and Grant Heckman both scored in the final 30 seconds, giving the Arrows the largest lead of the night at 15-11 heading to the second period.

Rylan Magsaysay pushed their lead out to seven with a three early in the second period, and the Arrows maintained their lead. With three minutes left until halftime and leading 24-21, Tecumseh ran off six straight points to take their lead to 30-21, led by Malik Quisenberry’s four points. The Arrows took a seven point lead into the half.

Belmont didn’t give up in the third, as they closed the gap to 40-36 before Darius Quisenberry scored on an old fashioned three-point play to take the lead back out to seven with 2:47 left in the quarter.

The Bison then made another run headed to the fourth, cutting the Arrows lead to three points heading to the final eight minutes.

Two more ties in the fourth, the last one at 53-all, send this game to the wire. Brody Martin hit two free throws to give the Arrows the lead for good, but the Bison stuck around. With 1:40 left in the game, Tecumseh clung to a 59-57 lead before the Quisenberry’s each hit a pair of free throws to take their lead out to 63-57 in the final 30 seconds.

Magsaysay added six points for the Arrows, while Clay Mastin and Martin each added five, Matt Crain scored four, with Heckman and Ross Warren each with two.

*In the finals, the Red Devils used some timely shooting to defeat the Arrows by one. Malik Quisenberry led Tecumseh with 15 points, Darius Quisenberry added 14, Warren had six, Magsaysay five, Mastin 3, Crain and Martin each with two.

Tecumseh travels to Bellefontaine on Friday, then goes to Troy Saturday night.