Photo by Kim North Bellaire’s Trey Dunn shoots over top of Harrison Central’s Brody Elliott (12) during Saturday night’s Ohio Division V Boys Basketball co-sectional final inside the ‘House of Champions.’ Bellaire advanced with a 61-57 victory.

BELLAIRE — When it comes to tournament time, it’s a battle of survive and advance.

Bellaire did just that Saturday night with a 61-57 come-from-behind victory over visiting Harrison Central inside the ‘House of Champions’ in a Ohio Division V East District boys basketball co-sectional final.

“In the first half their zone and length bothered us,” Bellaire head coach J.R. Battista said. “In the second half we turned the pressure up. We haven’t been pressing lately because we get into foul trouble, but tonight, fortunately, they threw the ball to us a few times and we got the game to our liking.”

The No. 7 Big Reds (12-11) trailed the No. 9 Huskies 32-23 at the 5:12 mark of the third quarter before Raekwon Pettigrew rallied the hosts back into it, and then some.

An athletic 6-1 sophomore, Pettigrew netted 13 of his game-leading 37 points in the third quarter when Bellaire used an 11-0 run to take a 34-32 lead on a three-pointer from the top of the key by Trey Dunn with 3:10 on the clock. Pettigrew had the other eight as Bellaire held a 40-38 edge heading into the fourth quarter.

“They started playing their style of basketball and sped us up,” Harrison Central head coach Aaron Foldi admitted. “It really worked. The game turned into a track meet and that’s not what kind of team we are. We did a good job of playing our style for two quarters, but then we got away from it.”

Senior Caleb Jewell scored 10 of his 18 points in the final panel, while Pettigrew put in nine more. Jewell reeled off seven straight to start the fourth quarter that put the Big Reds up 47-40 and Harrison Central (7-16) would never get closer than five down the stretch.

“Those two have been scoring a lot of points all year. Caleb is a really good shooter when we can get him open and Raekwon is a great athlete and finisher,” Battista noted.

Pettigrew, who also snagged 11 rebounds, and Jewell combined for 55 of Bellaire’s 61 points, but Battista said other players had a big role in the win.

“The other guys make a lot of good plays … decisions. They get those guys the ball. They set screens and they get loose balls,” he added. “I know it’s a cliche, but this was a real team win.”

Bryson Kamarec led Harrison Central with 19 points. Brady Elliott had 13 and six rebounds. Reed Arbaugh finished with a dozen lightings.

Bellaire now advances to face third-seeded Garaway on Wednesday at Cambridge High School in a East 1 District semifinal.