When rivals like Brunswick and Mt. Ararat meet in the high school basketball tournament, fans should expect a tight game. Wednesday afternoon’s Class A South girls’ semifinal did not disappoint.

Senior Blake Austin came off the bench and hit a tying 3-pointer for top-seeded Brunswick with 1:17 left in regulation, then the Dragons went 7 for 12 at the free-throw line in overtime to secure a 43-38 win at the Portland Expo.

“It’s a rivalry game. It’s always going to be like that,” said Brunswick Coach Sam Farrell. “And they’re really good. They came on late (in the season).”

Brunswick (18-2) will face second-seeded Greely in the regional final. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, but that’s weather permitting with a storm expected.

Fourth-seeded Mt. Ararat ends the season at 13-7.

Neither team led by more than six points. Down 27-23 entering the fourth quarter, Mt. Ararat took a 32-30 lead with 3:39 left on a pair of Elsa Daulerio free throws. A Daulerio layup with 1:48 left made it 34-30.

Lexi Morin’s free throw cut the lead to 34-31 with 1:30 to play. After a missed free throw by Mt. Ararat, Austin got her chance to tie the game with a 3-pointer from the right wing. It was her only basket of the game.

What was going through her mind when she let it fly?

“Not very much. I saw that I was open and I put it up,” Austin said.

The Dragons were in foul trouble much of the fourth quarter. Logan Brown, who scored all 11 of Brunswick’s third-quarter points and led the Dragons with 16, fouled out with 19 seconds left in regulation. The win was a testament to the team’s depth, Farrell said, pointing to Austin’s 3-pointer as well as a 3-pointer from freshman Eva Harvie that tied the game at 30-30 with 3:53 left in the fourth.

“Every kid that went in made it count. That was a big motto for us, ‘Make it count.’ It seemed like we made big plays at the right times,” Farrell said.

Added Austin: “Every single person can do the job and is willing to do so. Even when a big player like Logan fouls out, we’re still able to sort of take control.”

Daulerio gave the Eagles a 36-34 lead early in overtime, but the Dragons scored the next nine points. Kelsie Carlton sank 3 of 4 foul shots in the extra session.

Daulerio had nine rebounds to go with her 14 points. Morgan Ruff added eight points for the Eagles, including back-to-back 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter to give Mt. Ararat a 29-27 lead.

“We just held the one seed down to the wire. They hit big shots. We hit big shots. It was a battle,” said Mt. Ararat Coach Julie Petrie. “Some things didn’t go our way, and they took advantage of that.”

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