The St. Marys boys basketball team punched their ticket to the 2A Sub-State Championship game Wednesday night, taking care of business with an 89-65 win over Valley Falls.

The night belonged to Bears senior Ben DeVader.

DeVader delivered a dominant performance, pouring in a game-high 34 points while knocking down eight of St. Marys’ 13 three-pointers. His big night carried added significance as he etched his name into the school record books, becoming St. Marys’ all-time leader in career three-pointers while also surpassing the 1,000-point milestone for his career.

St. Marys set the tone early and never looked back. The Bears led 25-18 after the first quarter and extended the advantage to 49-31 by halftime. The lead continued to grow in the third quarter, with St. Marys stretching it to 75-49 entering the fourth before cruising the rest of the way.

DeVader wasn’t alone in the scoring column. Killian McCann and Louis Archer each added 16 points to help power the Bears’ offense.

Valley Falls was led by Damian Cervantez, who scored 26 points, while Collin Kearney chipped in 16 points and five rebounds. The Dragons, who won the Northeast Kansas League championship this season, closed their campaign with a 16-9 record.

With the win, St. Marys improves to 18-7 and advances to face Cair Paravel in the 2A Sub-State Championship on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Mission Valley, with a trip to the state tournament on the line. Coverage of the game will air live on 96.9 KOZA.