It took a little extra effort late, but the stage is set for the fourth round of this year’s Brainerd/Central boys’ basketball matchup. And this time the Region 3-AA championship and the right to host a sectional game are on the line.
Brained held off a late Tyner rally for a 63-58 win, while Central beat Red Bank 66-52 at East Ridge to set up Thursday’s 7 p.m. region title game. Both winners dispatched their semifinal opponents for the fourth time this year as well.
“It’s awfully tough to beat any team four times in a season, but especially a really good team, and Tyner is really good,” said Panthers coach Levar Brown, whose team lost two regular-season games to Central before winning last week for the district championship.
Both Brainerd (25-5) and Central (19-5) reached the state tournament last season. The region champion will host a sectional game Monday, while the runner-up must travel.
Although Brainerd maintained a double-digit lead for much of the game, Tyner began a rally early in the fourth quarter that trimmed the deficit to four less than two minutes into the final period. Even after Brainerd pushed the lead back to six with just over two minutes remaining, the Rams closed within two with 44 seconds to go before Brainerd put the game away by making four of four free throws and a dunk for its 11th straight win.