SECTIONAL SEMIFINAL … Delta senior Gary Valentine draws contact as he puts up a shot from the low square.
PHOTOS BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
IN A CROWD … Swanton’s Gio Ruiz goes up between two Panthers during Wednesday’s sectional semifinal. VIEW 79 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
By: Elliot Schneider
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
SWANTON (February 25, 2026) – The Division V boys basketball sectional semifinal between the Delta Panthers and the Swanton Bulldogs delivered nonstop intensity, as a hard-fought battle on both ends of the floor came down to the final possessions.
The first half featured limited scoring, the result of relentless defense on both sides and a deliberate tempo early on.
Both teams were patient in their half-court sets, working the ball around and searching for high-quality scoring opportunities rather than forcing shots.
The scoring opened with a converted and-one by Vincent Martinez, but Swanton quickly answered on the ensuing possession when Evan Reinhard was fouled on a three-point attempt and calmly knocked down all three free throws.
Martinez and Gunnar Avery teamed up to add a pair of baskets for the Panthers, but Swanton responded once again, this time from beyond the arc, as Reinhard and Brady O’Shea each connected on three-pointers giving the Bulldogs the early 9-7 lead.
The two sides continued to trade baskets, as Delta’s Ashton Alig got in on the action and Swanton’s Brady Haselman answered on the other end to keep the back-and-forth battle rolling, with Swanton taking an 11-9 lead into the second.
Haselman stayed hot to open the second quarter, drilling a three-pointer for the Bulldogs. Delta countered with a layup from Gary Valentine, and moments later Jack Mazurowski buried a triple to pull the Panthers even at 14-14.
Alex York, a second-team NWOAL selection and the Panthers’ leading scorer this season, didn’t get on the board until late in the second quarter, when he split a pair of free throws for his first point of the night.
Avery pushed Delta back in front with a strong finish at the rim, but Swanton had the final say before halftime. O’Shea knocked down a three-pointer, and Reinhard added a basket to cap the run, sending the Bulldogs into the locker room with a 19-17 lead.
Alig opened the second half with a spark, knocking down a three-pointer for the Panthers. Swanton answered at the free-throw line, where Gio Ruiz calmly converted a pair to get on the board.
Kade Lintermoot soon recorded his first basket of the night, but Reinhard continued to pace the Bulldogs’ offense. He followed with back-to-back buckets, giving him 12 points midway through the third quarter.
Dylan Smigelski buried a three-pointer to stretch the Bulldogs’ advantage, but Martinez answered in a big way. He knocked down a pair of triples to bring Delta back within two, trimming the deficit to 32-30 as Swanton carried a narrow lead into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter turned into a thrilling back-and-forth showdown, with both teams delivering their most explosive offensive stretches of the night. Valentine opened the scoring with a pair of free throws, but true to form, Swanton had an answer ready on the other end.
O’Shea and Reinhard each came up with timely baskets to push the Bulldogs’ lead to four early in the quarter, but Delta refused to let the game slip away.
Lintermoot added another basket for the Panthers, and after Haselman split a trip to the line on the other end, York and Alig responded with back-to-back scores to give Delta a one-point lead midway through the fourth.
The offensive surge continued, as five straight possessions ended in points from five different players, underscoring just how evenly matched the teams were in the final stretch. When the dust settled from that flurry, Swanton held a slim 44-43 edge with less than three minutes remaining.
Haselman and Reinhard each split a pair of free throws on consecutive possessions, extending Swanton’s lead to 46-43 with 40.3 seconds remaining.
Out of a timeout, Delta capitalized on a second-chance opportunity as Lintermoot slipped in a putback at the rim.
The Panthers then intentionally fouled O’Shea, who split a pair at the line, leaving Delta with the ball and 13.2 seconds remaining, trailing by two.
Following another timeout, York rose for a shot with five seconds left, but the attempt wouldn’t fall.
Swanton secured the rebound and was immediately fouled with 2.5 seconds to play, sealing the final moments of a tightly contested battle.
With no timeouts remaining, Delta had no choice but to push the pace after Reinhard missed both free throws.
The Panthers quickly advanced the ball up the floor, and Martinez launched a desperation heave from half court, but it fell short.
The miss secured a hard-fought 47-45 sectional semifinal victory for the Bulldogs.
SWANTON (47) – Reinhard 18; O’Shea 13; Haselman 9; Ruiz 4; Smigelski 3; Totals: 8-7-10 – 47
DELTA (45) – Martinez 11; Alig 8; York 7; Lintermoot 6; Valentine 4; Avery 4; Mazurowski 3; Lohman 2; Totals: 13-5-4 – 45
SHS 11 8 13 15 – 47
DHS 9 8 13 15 – 45