Special to the Journal/Jimmy Joe Savage East Liverpool’s Preston Dawson goes to the basket against Alliance on Saturday.

EAST LIVERPOOL — East Liverpool is picking up steam at the right time as the Potters erupted for 24 points in the third quarter to ultimately doom Alliance 73-62 on Saturday.

East Liverpool is 15-3. The Potters have won three straight and seven of their last eight. Alliance, the third place team in the Eastern Buckeye Conference, fell to 7-10. Only two teams (West Branch and Minerva) have winning overall records in the EBC.

Preston Dawson scored eight of his team-high 20 points in the third quarter. Preston Kerr adde 18 points. Four other Potters scored at least six points.

East Liverpool will host St. Clairsville in an OVAC Class 4A semifinal on Tuesday. The winner of that game will play the winner of Harrison Central and Beaver Local in the final on Saturday at Harrison Central.

After the OVAC stretch, the Potters will be idle for a while before hosting Ursuline on Feb. 19 and Canfield on Feb. 22 to close out the regular season.

AL: 11-11-14-26–62

EL: 18-16-24-15–73

ALLIANCE SCORING: Proctor 5-0-11, Jackson 11-3-29, Davis 5-0-12, R. Hawkins 3-0-6, K. Hawkins 1-0-2, Geiss 0-2-2. TEAM TOTALS: 25, 5-7: 62.

EAST LIVERPOOL SCORING: Cohen Pease 3-0-8, Nate Birch 3-1-9, Quintin Conrad 3-1-7, Preston Kerr 7-1-18, Malachi Reed 0-3-3, Blake Adkins 1-0-2, Preston Dawson 8-1-20, D’Shawn Kirby 3-0-6. TEAM TOTALS: 28, 7-9: 73.

Three-point goals: Alliance 7 (Jackson 4, Davis 2, Proctor), East Liverpool 10 (Kerr 3, Dawson 3, Pease 2, Birch 2)

Salem 69, Poland 39

SALEM — Everything came together for the Salem boys basketball team as it routed Northeast 8-leading Poland 69-39 on Saturday.

Salem shot out to a 23-1 lead after a quarter. Cam Sampson scored 10 of his 17 in the first period to set the tone.

Trent Fink hit for 21 points as he hit six of Salem’s 12 threes.

Evan Jones added 10 points.

Salem is 5-12, while Poland fell to 12-5.

Poland won the jayvee game, 54-34. Karsen Dangel had 10 points for Salem, while Nate Yakubek added nine points.

Salem will be at Northeast 8-member South Range on Tuesday.

PO: 1-14-8-16 — 39

SA: 23-12-19-15– 69

POLAND SCORING: Andrew Todd 5-0-12, Michael Daley 2-0-4, Jacob Hayes 0-0-0, Paul Greco 3-0-8, Carmine Yukalo 3-2-8, Oliver McCully 1-0-2, Danny Nittoli 1-1-3, Jeff Kollar 0-2-2, Vito Komara 0-0-0. TEAM TOTALS: 15, 5-11: 39.

SALEM SCORING: Trent Fink 7-1-21, Deontay Steele 2-0-5, Colin Riesen 0-1-1, Lance Bailey 3-1-8, Nate Yakubek 2-0-5, Ross Davidson 1-0-2, Anthony Colian 0-0-0, Andrew Beck 0-0-0, Cam Sampson 6-2-17, Derek Oesch 0-0-0, Luke Davis 0-0-0, Evan Jones 4-2-10. TEAM TOTALS: 25, 7-12: 69.

Three-point goals: Poland 4 (Todd 2, Greco 2), Salem 12 (Fink 6, Sampson 3, Steele, Bailey, Yakubek)

Valley 70,

East Palestine 32

YOUNGSTOWN — It was rough going for East Palestine’s boys basketball team as Valley Christian rolled to a 70-32 win on Saturday in Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference play.

East Palestine fell to 7-11 overall and 3-10 in the league. Valley is 10-7 overall and 7-5 in the conference.

The Bulldogs have lost three out of their last four and will welcome Urban Scholars on Tuesday. It was the final regular season road game for East Palestine.

RayShawn Bell had 27 points for the Eagles.

EP: 4-13-9-6–32

VA: 25-23-13-9–70

Lowellville 70,

Heartland 61

COLUMBIANA — Lowellville won its fourth straight by taming Heartland Christian, 70-61, on Saturday.

Lowellville is 11-6 overall, while Heartland fell to 11-5.

The Lions had won six straight before Saturday.

Heartland will host Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference leader Lisbon on Tuesday.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

NDCL 53, Salem 49

CHARDON — Notre Dame Cathedral Latin came away with a 53-49 overtime win over visiting Salem on Saturday in girls basketball action.

Reese Davidson-Chuck had 13 points for the Quakers, while Rylee Hutton added 11 points. Lauryn Barton broke into double-figures with 10 points.

Salem is 7-12, while NDCL is 6-12.

Salem hosts Austintown Fitch on Wednesday.

SA: 10-11-14-8-4–49

ND: 16-8-13-8-8–53

SALEM SCORING: Karlie Sampson 1-0-2, Rylee Hutton 4-3-11, Riley Flickinger 0-0-0, Maddy Andres 4-1-9, Lauryn Barton 4-2-10, Rylee Davidson-Chuck 1-2-4, Reese Davidson-Chuck 5-2-13. TEAM TOTALS: 19, 10-18: 49.

NDCL SCORING: Trusso 1-2-4, Munn 2-0-5, Baeslach 2-3-7, Surby 3-1-10, O’Brien 2-1-6, Rowan 1-0-2, Clayton 7-5-19. TEAM TOTALS: 18, 12-16: 53.

Three-point goals: Salem 1 (Reese Davidson-Chuck), NDCL 5 (Surby 3, Munn, O’Brien).

West Branch 50, Austintown 21

BELOIT — West Branch had no trouble in dispatching Austintown Fitch 50-21 on Saturday.

West Branch led 24-6 at the half and cruised from there to move to 17-2.

Sophia Gregory had 17 points for the Warriors. Audrey Eaton added 12 points. Ten different Warriors scored.

West Branch is at Norton today.

Heartland 57, Malvern 21

COLUMBIANA — Heartland Christian’s girls basketball is turning the corner towards its first possible winning season in school history.

The Lions gained another victory in what is already their winningest season with a 57-21 drubbing of Malvern on Saturday.

The Lions are 10-8 with four to play, including Lordstown on Wednesday and at Valley on Friday.

Rylee Shadowens led the Lions with 14 points, while Emily McDowell added 13 points.

MA: 8-2-7-4–21

HC: 17-18-19-3–57

MALVERN SCORING: Mitchell 1-0-3, Sprague 1-3-5, Kuba 0-1-1, Smith 2-3-9, Gray 1-1-3. TEAM TOTALS: 5, 8-13: 21.

HEARTLAND SCORING: Rylee Shadowens 4-4-14, Mackenzie Lightly 3-0-8, Emily McDowell 5-1-13, Rachel Reynolds 3-1-7, Sarah Reynolds 5-1-11, Maddie Neville 0-1-1, Emily Lightly 1-0-3, Grace Unger 0-0-0. TEAM TOTALS: 21, 8-14: 57.

Three-point goals: Malvern 3 (Smith 2, Mitchell), Heartland 7 (Shawdowens 2, M. Lightly 2, McDowell, E. Lightly)