The Golden Eagles were a scant 72 seconds away from returning to the district title game … instead it’s the Stallions who will be playing on Friday night.

Second-seeded Big Walnut (16-6), taking a 43-41 lead on Tara Johnson’s three-point basket with 3:42 to play, watched eighth-seeded DeSales (14-8) score two baskets in the final 1:12 to escape with a 45-43 upset victory in a Division II Central District semifinal game Tuesday night at Pickerington North High School.

DeSales’ 5-foot-9 sophomore guard Tyler Craig, who led the Stallions with 11 points, drove the lane for a layin to tie the game at 43-43 with 1:12 remaining. It was DeSales’ first field goal since Craig scored on a steal and layin with 1:17 left in the third period.

Following a steal by Stallion 5-9 senior Megan Bailey, the Stallions ran the clock down before 5-10 senior post Erin Doone slipped inside on a missed Craig shot for the putback and a 45-43 DeSales lead with 3.1 seconds to play. Doone backed Craig with 10 points while junior forward Maddie Lockhart followed with nine.

Big Walnut had the opportunity to send the game into overtime, but senior guard Amanda Chucta, who paced the Golden Eagles with 11 points, came up short on two free throws after being fouled under the basket.

“I really don’t have anything to say, at least right now,” Big Walnut head coach Bob Scott said after the closely-contested game which saw seven lead changes and four ties in the second half. “We had some things that didn’t go our way.”

The Golden Eagles, who led 31-28 at the intermission, were unable to generate any offense in the second half. Big Walnut, scoring only a dozen points over the final two periods, made only 26.3 percent (5-for-19) of its field goal tries against the Stallions’ 2-3 zone, and shot only three free throws (2-for-5 for the game).

Meanwhile, DeSales was having success attacking Big Walnut inside, shooting 6-for-15 (40 percent) from the field while making 5 of 8 free throws (8 of 11 for the game), including a pair of clutch three-point plays by Bailey and Doone in the third quarter.

Big Walnut was plagued by second-half foul trouble with senior post Jodie Jindra drawing her fourth personal with 1:09 left in the third period and junior guard Tabatha Piper her fourth with 6:59 left to play. For the game, they combined for nine points, two in the final period, and 11 rebounds.

Senior post Jessie Simpkins backed Chucta with eight points while sophomore guard Kaleigh Hammond followed with six.