BISMARCK, ND. (NewsDakota.com) – The West Region Tournament always seems to bring out the best competition from all teams involved. Mandan and Jamestown proved that on Thursday night as the Blue Jays defeated the Braves, 70-64, in the WDA quarterfinals.

Both teams showed up offensively in the first half as Jamestown and Mandan each shot over 50% from the floor The defensive intensity kicked up during the second half of play and big free throws down the stretch from Noah Meissner preserved the win for the Blue Jays.

Jamestown led 37-36 at the break behind nine first half points for Meissner and Payton Hochhalter. The Jays had to play a majority of the second half without Hochhalter, but seniors Caydann Cox and Mason Lunzman, as well as sophomore Thomas Newman, played up to par.

Newman found his sweet spot in the lane during the second half and Cox was a menace on defense and in the paint. Newman finished with 12 points while Cox had nine points along with five rebounds and two blocked shots. Hochhalter still chipped in 13 points despite leaving the game with less than ten minutes remaining after he was undercut trying to block a shot.

Meissner led Jamestown with 23 points, including a perfect 4-for-4 at the line. The sophomore converted his free throws in the final two minutes to secure the victory. Jamestown went 7-for-9 at the charity stripe. Ryan Larson added six points and nine rebounds.

The Blue Jays improve to 13-10 overall, but more importantly, move on to the WDA semifinals on Friday night. Jamestown faces second-seeded Minot with tipoff set for approximately 7:15 PM. Coverage can be heard on Jamestown 1071/1400, online at newsdakota.com, or on the Jamestown 107.1 app.