Photo/ALLI DELANEY RIVER SENIOR Ty Long goes up for a shot during the first half of Tuesday’s Division IV district semifinal against Strasburg at Union Local High School. The Pilots won, 40-26, and will now meet Hiland in the district championship game on Friday.

MORRISTOWN – Defense travels. As a result, River will be traveling to the Division IV District championship game.

The Pilots painted another defensive masterpiece Tuesday night, suffocating Strasburg, 40-26, at “The Hangar” in front of a large turnout. The impressive triumph was the 21st in 25 starts for Mark Romick’s well-drilled charges.

“I am really pleased with how we defended tonight. Strasburg is a very good outside shooting team,” Romick said. “I thought we did a great job of guarding on the perimeter. Good defense doesn’t stay home.”

River will now face a familiar foe in Friday’s district finale. The top-seeded Pilots will oppose Hiland with a regional berth on the line at Meadowbrook High School in Byesville. The Hawks eliminated second-seeded Caldwell, 53-46.

Romick’s charges jumped on the Tigers from the outset and were only mildly challenged once.

“It was great to get off to quick start. It’s nice to play with the lead in the tournaments,” Romick said. “They made a couple of runs but we always responded. We played with a lot of poise.”

River surged to an 11-3 lead after the opening quarter. Senior stalwarts Brody Lollathin and River Thompson fueled the surge. Thompson netted five points in the frame with Lollathin adding four.

The Pilots continued to exert their defensive presence in the second quarter, holding the fifth-seeded Tigers to six points in the period, taking a 19-9 lead into intermission. Junior standout Kabel Isaly dropped in a pair of bonus bombs in the frame for the winners.

River maintained a 25-16 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Strasburg made matters somewhat interesting at the start of the final chapter, using four points from frosh Gage Moore to cut the deficit to 25-20.

River’s senior ace Ty Long, however, squelched the Tiger rally as he delivered three successive hoops, the last coming off a steal by Isaly. The Long flurry pushed the Pilot upper hand to 11 with 3:33 remaining. After a Tiger deuce, Lollathin goaled with 2:41 to maintain the River 11-point margin.

Isaly pounded the final nails in the Tiger coffin.

The 5-10 dynamo recorded a steal and was subsequently fouled. He meshed two charity tosses. On Strasburg’s ensuing possession, Isaly registered another steal and netted a bucket for a 37-22 bulge with just 1:37 remaining. All told, Isaly had four steals in the final stanza.

Isaly and Long paced the winners with 14 points each. Lollathin produced seven points and boundless energy while Thompson ended with five markers.

“We executed the offense very well. And we took great care of the ball (just three turnovers),” Romick said. “It was all positive tonight. This group has the heart of a champion.”

Moore paced Strasburg with nine points. The Tigers, who ousted Zanesville Rosecrans in the sectional final, ended with a fine 18-7 mark.

“We know Hiland very well and they know us well. Mark (Hiland coach Schlabach) and I have been doing this for a long time now,” Romick said. “It will be a physical game Friday night. It is a good matchup.”

River bested Hiland in the 2012 district final to punch a ticket into the regional tournament.