Junior guard Grant Nichols registered 14 points in guiding the fourth-seeded Wildcats to a 54-35 quarterfinal win over the No. 5 Cougars at the Tipton Tournament on Monday night.
Senior forward Brady Wiler finished with 12 points for New Bloomfield.
The Wildcats (2-0) jumped out to an 11-4 advantage after a quarter, but were outscored by Climax Springs 15-9 in the second to cling to a one-point edge at the break.
New Bloomfield upped its defensive play in the third, outscoring the Cougars 19-3 to take a 17-point lead into the final quarter.
"I thought the biggest difference was the energy level," Wildcats head coach Tim Gilmore said. "Even in the first quarter, we were kind of complacent...our pressure defensively helped us convert things offensively."
Junior guard Tyler Fennewald and freshman forward Jak Kitchens each totaled eight points for New Bloomfield.
The Wildcats will play either No. 1 Tipton or eighth-seeded Bunceton in a semifinal tilt at 6 p.m. Thursday.