Garnett ? Basketball games aren’t won in the first quarter, but Ottawa High’s boys team had all but dotted the “i” in its 17th win of the season after the first eight minutes Friday night.

The Cyclones shot an incredible 91 percent from the field in the first quarter, blazing out to a 25-11 lead as OHS cruised to a 72-49 victory over Louisburg in a Class 4A sub-state semifinal at Anderson County High.

With the win Ottawa (17-5) advances to today’s 7:30 p.m. sub-state championship against Chanute, which beat Fort Scott 60-53. The winner of the Ottawa-Chanute showdown will advance to next week’s 4A state tournament in Salina.

“It was incredible,” Ottawa coach David Grover said of the team’s scorching start.

While the Cyclones’ sizzling field-goal percentage plummeted to a still-impressive 50 percent by the end of the second quarter, Ottawa was well on its way to moving within a victory of a return trip to state, leading 46-22 at halftime.

“We were ready to go,” said Ottawa senior Chris Hermreck, who teamed with fellow senior Adam Spratt to outscore Louisburg, 25-22, in the first half.

While the Cyclones’ second-half play was lackluster compared to its scintillating start, Grover had the luxury of resting his starters for tonight’s championship.

And while the Wildcats dutifully came back as best they could, it was the Cyclones steamy first quarter that proved to be insurmountable.

Ottawa was darn near perfect too, except for senior Cale Drumright’s six footer that bounced off the back of the rim.

“Oh great,” said Drumright with a smirk, when he learned he was the one keeping the Cyclones from a perfect quarter.

Drumright more than made up for his missed shot, as he and five other Cyclones scored eight or more points. Hermreck led the way with 16, and Spratt finished with 15.

But Drumright said that Ottawa, a veteran team that has been this far before, will have to play its best game of the season tonight.

“We came out great,” he said, “but we’re going to have to come out even better (tonight) and play with the same kind of intensity.”

Ottawa 72, Louisburg 49

LOUISBURG (15-7)

Justin Cannon 1-5 0-0 2, Zach Cowger 3-5 1-2 7, John Paul McEwen 1-6 1-2 3, Mark Edgar 1-5 5-6 7, Brett Bowes 4-11 0-0 9, Brad Marks 4-11 0-0 8, Cooper Link 1-5 1-6 3, Tyler O’Brien 4-5 2-2 10, Cale Rigney 0-2 0-1 0, Kevin Dunn 0-1 0-0 0, Clayton Pritchard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-56 10-19 49.

OTTAWA (17-5)

Adam Spratt 5-6 4-9 15, Isaac Templeton 2-2 1-2 5, Ross Thompson 5-7 0-0 10, Cale Drumright 3-11 2-3 8, Chris Hermreck 6-11 2-6 16, Eric Hull 1-5 6-6 8, Michael Cation 1-1 1-2 4, Clint Bones 1-2 3-4 5, Lee Baldwin 0-0 1-4 1, Andrew Maxwell 0-1 0-0 0, Kyle Fetters 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-47 20-36 72.

Louisburg 11 11 14 13 49

Ottawa 25 21 13 13 72

Three-point shooting Louisburg 1-9 (Bowes 1-5, Edgar 0-1, Rigney 0-1, Marks 0-2), Ottawa 4-14 (Hermreck 2-6, Spratt 1-1, Cation 1-1, Fetters 0-1, Drumright 0-2, Hull 0-3). Total fouls Louisburg 27, Ottawa 18. Turnovers Louisburg 17, Ottawa 16. Technicals Louisburg, O’Brien.