Hall-Dale High School’s Josh Nadeau (3) makes the steal from Richmond High School’s Nathan Kendrick (11) in their Class C South semifinal Thursday at the Augusta Civic Center. (Michael G. Seamans/Kennebec Journal)

AUGUSTA — It wasn’t easy but somehow, some way, the No. 1 seed in the Class C South regional tournament survived.

The Hall-Dale boys basketball team erased a six-point deficit with 2:07 to play in regulation, held off a thrilling comeback attempt by Richmond and went on to post a 76-70 overtime win over the fifth-seeded Bobcats in Thursday night’s regional semifinal at the Augusta Civic Center on Thursday night. Ashtyn Abbott, who was one of two Bulldogs to top 20 points with 21 on the night, scored three points in overtime to help Hall-Dale (19-1) to the regional final Saturday night.

The Bulldogs will meet Winthrop, which won its semifinal earlier in the night, in the Class C South championship.

Richmond’s Zach Small scored 18 of his game-high 37 points in the fourth quarter, helping stake the Bobcats out to a 62-56 lead late. But Tyler Nadeau hit a 3-pointer with 1:10 remaining in the fourth quarter before adding a bank shot off a turnover 20 seconds later to give Hall-Dale the lead.

Down three with less than half a minute to play, Small hit a 3 from the top of the key to force overtime. The teams exchanged the lead 10 times from the midpoint of the third quarter on.

In overtime, Small fouled out and the Bobcats didn’t have enough bite left.

Alec Byron led Hall-Dale with 27 points, while Nadeau scored all of his points late in the fourth quarter and in overtime.