LIMA — Thursday’s Division IV district semifinal was definitely not one for the faint of heart. In a double overtime game with many twists and turns, Crestview prevailed over Kalida 53-47. The Lady Knights (22-2) advance to Saturday’s 7 p.m. district final against Ottoville, which took out Lincolnview 62-27 in Thursday’s second game. Kalida’s fine season ends at 15-9.

In a game full of dramatics, the fourth quarter was probably the most heart-stopping. Kalida had ended the third period with a 5-0 run to take a 29-28 lead into what might have been, but wasn’t, the last eight minutes. The Lady Wildcats extended that run to 7-0 with the first bucket of the fourth period, a mid-court steal and layup by Summer Holtkamp — 31-28, Kalida, at 7:34. Crestview’s Kennis Mercer sliced inside to cut the lead to 31-30, but the Cats’ Elizabeth Turnwald muscled in a layup, and Brittany Kahle picked off a pass and went the distance — 35-30 at 6:13.

Back came the Knights, of course. Terra Crowle swished a three-pointer from the right corner, and Mackenzie Riggenbach hit two free throws to tie it at 35 with 4:42 left. Kylie Osterhage escaped for an open layup to lead 37-35, but the Knights’ Emily Bauer bounced in a 10-footer to tie it again. Crowle was fouled on a three-point try, but hit only the first of three to lead 38-37 with 1:49 left. Bauer hit two freebies at 0:44 to up the lead to three, but three straight Knight turnovers led to a 6-0 Wildcat run — Amy Smith layup, steal/layup by Jackie Gardner, two free throws by Holtkamp — and Kalida led 43-40 with five seconds left. Then came the play of the game. Riggenbach was fouled on a half-court heave, and went to the line with 1.9 seconds left, having to make all three shots to keep Crestview in it. The cool sophomore hit nothing but net on all three tries to send the game into its first overtime.