LINCOLN — Falls City Sacred Heart forced 20 turnovers and steadily pulled away to beat Anselmo-Merna 57-33 on Thursday night.

The teams traded baskets early in the first quarter before Sacred Heart took an 8-7 lead and never relinquished it. The Irish led by five after one quarter and eight at halftime. Avery Santo took over in the second half and finished with a game-high 19 points on five made three-pointers.

Anselmo-Merna struggled on offense. The Coyotes shot 26% from the field and went just 1-16 from beyond the arc.

The victory places Sacred Heart in the Class D-2 semifinals to face the winner of St. Mary’s vs. Archangels Catholic. This is the 13th season in a row in which the Irish have made the state semifinals.

Falls City Sacred Heart… 14, 10, 13, 20 = 57

Anselmo-Merna………….. 9, 8, 7, 9 = 33

Sacred Heart: Santo 19, Lechtenberg 16, Witt 10, Jones 6, Crouse 3, Westengaard 3

Anselmo-Merna: Miller 11, Myers 9, Klein 8, Thornton 3, Coleman 2