TOLEDO — Mansfield Senior’s storybook run through the postseason has reached the Elite Eight.
Sophomore sensation Kaylen Brooks scored 19 points and the Tygers held on for a wild 65-61 win over Alliance in the Division III regional semifinals Wednesday inside at Savage Arena on the campus of the University of Toledo.
“I’m so proud of our guys,” Mansfield Senior coach Marquis Sykes said.
Mansfield Senior (19-7) will play Toledo Central Catholic for a regional title and a berth in next week’s state tournament at 2 p.m. Saturday in Toledo. TCC thumped Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy 70-44 in Wednesday’s early game.
Andrew Brooks Jr. scored 15 points for the Tygers. Davion Mack came off the bench to contribute 10. Rashad Reed Jr. added 11 points and D.J. Corbin scored eight.
Senior High led 29-21 at the half and 45-41 entering the fourth, but Alliance took a 60-59 lead on a Cashe Brisker layup with 2:20 remaining.
The Tygers closed the game with a 6-1 run to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2014.
A Kaylen Brooks layup with 2:12 to play gave Senior the lead at 61-60.
From there, Mansfield Senior made 4-of-6 free throws. Mack knocked down a pair of freebies to make it 64-61 with 25.5 seconds remaining and Corbin split a pair with 7.7 seconds to go to make it a two-possession game.
Alliance’s desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, sparking a wild celebration on the Mansfield Senior bench.
“We very well could have folded when they made their run and took a one-point lead,” Sykes said. “But our guys continued to fight.”
J.R. Jackson scored a game-high 24 points for the Aviators. Parker Woods added 20.
Mansfield Senior will play for its first Final Four berth since 2005. The Tygers fell in the regional final in 2014.
“It feels great,” Corbin said. “It’s just a moment. We can celebrate tonight, but we’ve got to get back to it on Saturday.
“We’ve got a lot of momentum.”