CONSTANTINE — The streak continues.

Under the direction of head coach Josh Hood, the Brandywine girls basketball team has never lost a regional game.

That did not change Thursday night despite the fact that the Bobcats were taking on undefeated (23-0) Gobles in the Class C regional title game at Constantine.

Brandywine (23-2) used the quickness of point guard Jaleesa Garner to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season and to advance to the quarterfinals in Portage Northern Tuesday with a 53-47 victory.

Brandywine is now 12-0 in regional game under Hood. This is also the Bobcats’ six regional title in seven years.

“If Jaleesa isn’t an all-state point guard, I’ve never seen one,” Hood said. “She dictated this game. When we were struggling and stagnating offensively, she would get us going.”

Garner scored eight of her team-high 16 points in the opening quarter to get the Bobcats off to a quick start.

She also hit key shots over the final three quarters when her team needed them most.

She drove the lane and scored to put the Bobcats up 23-19 at the half. She also scored to key a 9-2 run in the third quarter after Gobles had cut the lead to 26-24.

Garner’s 3-point play with 4:24 remaining in the game extended Brandywine’s lead to 43-36 and helped the Bobcats stave off the Tigers’ charge.

“It’s just kind of second nature,” Garner said. “I feel like I have a gap, so I just go with it. I don’t just think about going to the hole. I think about passing or penetrating all in one. And if I am open, I just go to the hole.

“I saw more gaps tonight. I saw a lot more open space for me to get in between and go to the hole. They were more a worried more about our outside game than our inside game so that helped.”

Besides Garner, Brandywine also got a combined 19 points from twins Makenna (13) and Michaela Hartline (6). Emily Erwin also had 13 for the Bobcats, who will face Grand Rapids Covenant Christian (18-5) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Gobles was led by Haley Rock’s game-high 17 points, also got 14 points from Ellen Doyle.

 

BRANDYWINE 53, GOBLES 47

At Constantine

GOBLES 47

Haley Rock 17, Cam Davis 6, Hailey Baxter 6, Maddy Tiller 4, Ellen Doyle 14. TOTALS: 19 3-6 47.

BRANDYWINE 53

Makenna Hartline 12, Jaleesa Garner 16, Mia Stella 0, Michaela Hartline 7, Makena Bowen 0; Emily Erwin 13, Rachael Szilagyi 0, Alyssa Bolen 0, Libby Moody 5. TOTALS: 20 9-21 53.

 

Gobles                         8          19       28       47

Brandywine               14       23       35       53

3-point baskets: Gobles 6 (Rock 3, Davis 2, Doyle), Brandywine 4 (Bowen 3, Moody). Total fouls (fouled out): Gobles 17 (Davis, Baxter), Brandywine 10 (none). Varsity records: Brandywine 23-2, Gobles 23-1.