By JOSH HALLORAN
It was a win or go home game, as the No. 1 ranked Braves hosted the No. 8 ranked Wekiva Mustangs in the Regional Quarterfinal game.
The Braves came out strong and went out on an early 7-2 lead, which ended with a timeout by the Mustangs after a wide open three-pointer by junior Barry Taylor.
At the end of the first quarter, the Braves had a five point lead, 15-10. Senior Robert Rimmer played well on both ends of the court with two points, four rebounds and two blocks.
The Mustangs outscored the Braves 10-8 in the second quarter but were still trailing by three at halftime, as Taylor hit a buzzer beating three-pointer to end the half.
As the second half resumed, it was not the same Braves team we saw in the first half. The Braves committed nine turnovers and shot 34 percent from the field. The Mustangs went on a 12-3 run and took the lead 32-26 with 4:47 left in the third quarter. With the crowd on their feet, it gave the Braves hope, as they cut the deficit to nine going into what could be the final seven minutes of their season.
Senior Robert Irwin stepped up for the Braves, despite his flu-like symptoms, with two three-pointers late in the fourth quarter. Irwin ended the game with six points, four rebounds and two assists.
As the seconds on the clock ticked down, Taylor, Irwin and junior Blake Sanderson all fouled out and it became clear that this would be the end of the road for the Braves.
The Mustangs won 59-44.
“This team will be talked about for a long time around here,” assistant coach Dave Martinson said after the game in the locker room.
This boys basketball team was the first team in Braves history to win back-to-back Metro Championships and brought back the District Championship to the Reservation which has not been done since 2002.