BARRIE, Ont. - After building a 23-point first half lead, the Sheridan Bruins men's basketball team (28-9, 17-5 OCAA) nearly saw it evaporate in the third quarter when Fanshawe trimmed the margin to four, but they steadied themselves and pulled away in the fourth to pick up a 110-99 victory, and advance to the OCAA semi final.

"We shot the ball very well and I was proud of how our guys held up against adversity in the second half," head coach Jim Flack said. 

It was a combination of an aggressive Fanshawe team and a passive Sheridan side, that allowed the Falcons to chip away. The Double Blue only connected on three field goals in the third quarter, and had none over the final 6:33, while Fanshawe was 11-of-16 from the floor (68.8 per cent) in the period. 

Still, the Bruins had built enough of a cushion that no matter how furious the charge was, they were able to cling to a two-possession edge. An 8-0 Sheridan run early in the final frame - capped by a 4-point play from Jemol Edwards - stretched the lead back to 15, with the Bruins in front 92-77. 

Fanshawe still had runs in them, but they were unable to draw closer than eight, and when Edwards drilled his sixth 3-pointer of the game with 1:30 to play, it restored the double digit advantage for good. 

The fourth year guard scored 30 to lead a Sheridan attack that saw five others hit double figures, with Khaleek Bakari-Whyte pouring in 25, followed by Keenan Danso-Dapaah (16), Nick Campbell (15), Tremaine Anderson (12), and Romar Subban (10). 

It sets up a re-match of last year's OCAA semi final against Seneca (19-3 OCAA), who ran out to a 44-16 first-quarter lead over Redeemer and never looked back in their quarter-final triumph. 

The Bruins earned a 97-90 decision when the two sides met during East/West Holiday Series in December.