Ontario's Glenn Howard is still alive in a bid to repeat as Brier and world men's curling champion.

Howard and his Coldwater and District Curling Club foursome — third Richard Hart, second Brent Laing and lead Craig Savill — turned back B.C.'s Bob Ursel 9-7 on Friday afternoon in the Page playoff three-four game at the Tim Hortons Brier in Winnipeg.

The teams traded deuces in the first four ends before Ontario was held to one in the fifth end to go up 5-4. In the sixth, B.C. had a shot at a go-ahead deuce but last-rock tosser Jim Cotter was just wide with his shot and gave Ontario a steal of one.

Then in the eighth end, Howard negotiated a tight port to raise his rock onto a B.C. counter to score three.

"I don't blame (B.C.) for leaving the shot," said Howard. "You have to throw it perfect, and I said, 'If I have a bucket of balls, I'm only getting through there once.' Fortunately, we swept it perfectly and it got through, and it was a three-banger. I guess that was the game."

With the win, Ontario advances to Saturday's semifinal at 2:30 p.m. (all times Eastern) on CBC against the loser of Friday night's Page playoff one-two game.

That game, scheduled for 8 p.m. on TSN, will feature unbeaten Kevin Martin of Alberta taking on Pat Simmons of Saskatchewan.

The Alberta-Saskatchewan winner advances directly to Sunday's 6:30 p.m. championship game on CBC.

The Brier winner will represent Canada at the world men's curling championship, April 5 to 13 in Grand Forks, N.D.