REGIONAL CHAMPIONS — The Big Red boys basketball team together after winning the Division III, Region 11 Championship on Saturday at Ohio University. - Andrew Grimm

He won’t be.  

Bowers and his teammates are headed to Dayton — not to watch, but to play — because, for the first time in 74 years, the Big Red basketball team is in the Final Four.  

The ticket to the Division III state tournament was punched Saturday afternoon with a 61-55 victory over Columbus Bishop Watterson in the Region 11 Championship inside Ohio University’s Convocation Center.  

After it came up short in regionals a year ago, this year Steubenville had a trip to Dayton on its list of goals. The list of goals got checked off as the season went, and a big one was checked off Saturday — though a couple of big ones remain.  

HEADED TO STATE — Big Red players celebrate with the regional championship triophy after Saturday’s victory over Columbus Bishop Watterson. - Andrew Grimm

“Dayton is always the goal and this year these guys put their minds to it and worked very hard to do it. They worked their butts off every day in practice,” Big Red head coach Mike Haney said. “I’m just so proud of every one of them. This is great.” 

Accomplishing that goal and going to the state tournament was something important to the senior group, which includes Bowers. He had been in the regionals in three sports (football, basketball and soccer) in his four-year career that has seen him recognized as an All-District player in every sport.  

“This is a special, special feeling to get there, especially with these guys,” Bowers said. “It’s a special group; it’s been a lot of work since we were about six years old.  

“We have been so close before in every sport. We lost to (Watterson) in football in the regional final the last two years, that gave us some added motivation. It’s a great feeling to get to the Final Four. 

“We wanted this for each other; this is what we’ve been working for all season. We have played for each other every single game, I think we’re the tightest team in the state. We wanted this for one another. 

COLLECTING NETS — Big Red head coach Mike Haney brings down the last piece of net during the celebration. - Andrew Grimm

“I can’t wait to get to Dayton.” 

He’s not alone on the feeling of closeness. Every Big Red player and coach has expressed the same sentiment all season. Some in that group have played together since elementary school. That tight bond has helped key the furthest run for the program in nearly three quarters of a century.  

“These guys started together in the EDGE program back when the seniors were in second grade and the juniors in first grade,” Haney said. “They went all through the EDGE program together; the hope was to have these guys playing together at a young age. That chemistry they built has really benefitted us.” 

“This is the best feeling in the world. We’ve been playing together since third and fourth grade, maybe before that,” junior standout Santino Haney said. “There’s no better feeling than doing it with this group.” 

“This is all coming full circle for us,” senior Tre Wiggins said. “This group has been together and wanted this for so long.” 

Big Red’s Tre’von Wiggins shoots one of his seen 3-pointers on Saturday. - Andrew Grimm

All season, Big Red (25-1) has been able to rely on multiple players to score. With four players averaging double figures entering Saturday and multiple games this season with five or six players in double digits, it seemed as though someone different had a big game in each of the 25 victories.  

It was Bowers knocking down seven 3s Tuesday night in the regional semifinal win. Saturday was the turn for another senior — Wiggins. He knocked down seven 3s — four in the third quarter and three on back-to-back-to-back possessions — and netted a game-high 23 points. He also tied for team highs in rebounds (four) and steals (two) and had the team’s only two blocks.  

“My teammates were trusting me and getting me the ball,” Wiggins said of his hot-shooting stretch.  

East District Player of the Year Santino Haney netted 13 points on Saturday. He got a lot of attention from the Watterson (21-6) defense and dished a game-high five assists to go with two steals and two rebounds.  

“It’s always a team effort with us,” the younger Haney said. “We all want to win and do whatever it takes to win. It doesn’t matter who scores or doesn’t score that night, everyone contributes and we all want to win.” 

Big Red’s Cole Bowers takes the ball to the hoop. - Andrew Grimm

“Everyone contributed tonight,” said Cole Bowers, who had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. “Santino didn’t have a big game scoring, but he did everything else to help us and Tre’von knocked down seven 3s. That’s an unreal performance from him. Everyone played a role in this.” 

Big Red started a little slow as the Eagles netted the game’s first seven points. Landon Bowers got things going, though, with the first of Big Red’s 12 triples in the game. Wiggins knocked down his first 3 of the game to pull Steubenville within one. After they had edged ahead, Santino Haney sunk a late triple to make it a 13-11 Big Red lead after one.  

Wiggins and Moore hit treys on back-to-back possessions early in the second, then another Wiggins long-range bomb gave Big Red the first double-digit lead of the game. They led by seven at the break, 26-19.  

Wiggins’ four triples in the third quarter helped Big Red open the biggest lead of the game, 17 points, and they held on to a 15-point advantage going to the fourth quarter.  

Watterson, though, was not done. The Eagles got early fourth quarter triples from Michael Mulligen (10 points) and Noah Hulstinger (nine points). The Eagles rattled off a 14-2 run to make it a five-point game and forced a Steubenville timeout with 5:35 to play.  

Big Red’s Santino Haney drives past a defender to work the paint. - Andrew Grimm

Needing someone to make a shot to get the momentum back, Cole Bowers — who had missed his last six attempts from beyond the arc — swished a 3. The lead went back to nine points inside three minutes to play.  

“My teammates kept reminding me throughout the game to keep confidence,” Cole Bowers said. “They got me the ball with an open look, and I was able to hit it. It was a good feeling.” 

From there, Big Red did enough at the foul line while in the bonus to keep the lead from getting any closer than two possessions.  

“They went on a run, and we knew they were going to. They’re a good team,” coach Haney said. “No one is going to make it easy this time of year; we told them when we had the big lead that no one was quitting, so we had to keep playing all 32 minutes.  

“Cole hit that big 3, we needed that, and we made some big foul shots down the stretch. That made them have to rush shots the other way and kept the pressure on them.” 

Big Red shot a solid 51.3 percent overall and 48 percent from beyond the arc, with five different players connecting on at least one 3. Eight of their nine makes from the foul line came in the fourth quarter.  

They also turned 13 Watterson turnovers into 22 points and combined for 14 assists as a team. 

The Eagles were led by 13 points and seven rebounds from Drew Bellisari and 12 points from Carter Bellisari, who fouled out of the game with less than a minute to go.  

Watterson shot 54.8 percent overall but were just 4 of 13 from the outside and made just 3 of 9 foul shots. They did most of their damage on the inside with a 38-16 scoring advantage in the paint and a 25-19 margin off the glass.  

Big Red’s quest for a state championship continues Thursday night at 8 p.m. against Akron Archbishop Hoban (20-7) inside the University of Dayton’s UD Arena in the state semifinals.   

OHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament 

Division III, Region 11 Championship 

At Ohio University’s Convocation Center 

No. 10 Steuebenville 61,

No. 7 Bishop Watterson 55 

(MaxPreps state rankings) 

Steubenville 13-13-17-18 — 61  

B. Watterson 11-8-9-27 — 55  

STEUBENVILLE (25-1): Wiggins 7-12 2-2 23; Haney 4-7 4-8 13; Moore 1-2 0-0 3; C. Bowers 5-14 1-2 13; L. Bowers 3-4 2-2 9; Adams 0-0 0-0 0; Rea 0-0 0-0 0; Edwards 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 20-39, 9-14; 61. 

BISHOP WATTERSON (21-6): C. Bellisari 6-14 0-2 12; Mulligen 3-7 1-2 10; Hulstinger 4-6 0-0 9; D. Bellisari 6-8 1-3 13; Shuler 4-7 0-0 8; Gruver 0-1 1-2 1; Ryan 1-1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 24-44, 3-9; 55.  

3-POINTERS: Steubenville 12-25 (Wiggins 7-11, Haney 1-1, Moore 1-1, C. Bowers 2-9, L. Bowers 1-2); Bishop Watterson 4-13 (Mulligen 3-7, Hulstinger 1-3). REBOUNDS: Steubenville 19 (Wiggins 4, C. Bowers 4); Bishop Watterson 25 (D. Bellisari 7). ASSISTS: Steubenville 14 (Haney 5); Bishop Watterson 7 (C. Belliari, Hulstinger, Shuler 2 each). STEALS: Steubenville 8 (Wiggins, Haney, Moore 2 each); Bishop Watterson 12 (Hulstinger 4). BLOCKS: Steubenville 2 (Wiggins 2); Bishop Watterson 2 (Hulstinger, Shuler). TURNOVERS: Steubenville 13; Bishop Watterson 15.