After trading punches throughout the opening 25 minutes of Saturday night’s game at Kingman Gymnasium, the Ottawa boys basketball team snapped a tie in opening two minutes of the fourth quarter against long-time rival Streator.

The Pirates used a quick 7-0 spurt to create separation and eventually outscored the Bulldogs 17-7 in the final eight minutes to earn a 64-51 victory.

On Thursday the two sides found out they will meet again in a couple weeks to open up postseason play.

“This was a more free-flowing type of game then is normally an Ottawa/Streator game,” Ottawa coach Mark Cooper said. ”Over the years this has normally been a low-scoring, rock fight type of game. Both teams were very efficient on the offensive end, but I also thought the defense was pretty good as well. That’s a credit to the shot-making of the players.

“With us coming off a tough game at Sycamore and them with a double overtime road game on Friday, I wasn’t sure what kind of game we’d have here tonight, but it was a very good basketball game.”

Streator’s LA Moton opened the fourth period with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to knot the contest at 47-all.

From there, Ottawa’s Rory Moore sank a triple which was followed by consecutive drives by George Shumway and Jack Carroll.

A rebound hoop by Brennen Stillwell snapped the run, but the Pirates responded with a pair of free throws by Owen Sanders and Dom Parks, as well as layups by Shumway and Hezekiah Joachim.

Joachim led Ottawa with a career-high 18 points (11 in the first, 7 of 8 shooting for the game), to go along with five assists and three steals. Moore finished with 14 points, including four treys, Parks had 10 points, and Sanders nine points and six rebounds.

Ottawa (13-11) sank 24 of 43 [56%] from the field, including 9 of 21 from beyond the arc.

“I just loving winning with my teammates,” Joachim said. “Every time we can get into that locker room after a win, it’s just a special moment seeing them all excited. They lift me up to be the player I am, so I just want to play well and hopefully help us have more moments like tonight.

“I feel like we had a great understanding of the game plan tonight. I felt like we really played team basketball and did a good job of getting the ball to whoever was hot in that moment. We just had guys step up when we needed them to.”

Streator (11-16) - behind 10 points from Joe Hoekstra and eight from Christian Bruton - held a 21-16 advantage after one quarter and 34-29 lead at halftime.

Moore netted 11 points in the third, including his 3-pointer that gave the hosts a 47-44 lead heading to the final eight minutes.

Hoekstra led Streator with 18 points and eight rebounds. Bruton added 14 points and four rebounds, Stillwell had 11 points and Moton eight points.

The Bulldogs hit 17 of 32 [53%] through three quarters but sank just 2 of 14 in the final frame.

“Both teams came off emotional losses on Friday with them playing well without Sanders up at Sycamore and us losing a double overtime heartbreaker at Wilmington,” Streator coach Beau Doty said. “I thought we lost our legs a little in the fourth quarter and the shots that went in for us in the first three quarters stopped going in in the fourth. I felt like both teams played pretty solid defense throughout but we both shot the ball well. Christian really gave us a nice boost to open the game and Joe was Joe.

“The biggest key in my mind is that we let Joachim do whatever he wanted tonight,” Doty added. “He was really good for them, the difference in the game, and we just couldn’t find a way to contain him. He was able to get into the lane at will. He looked like the experienced and strong senior guard he is.”

Both sides return to the floor Tuesday for home conference games as Streator plays Herscher in the Illinois Central Eight, and Ottawa takes on Kaneland in the Interstate 8.