The Centerville Elks Varsity Boys Basketball team has advanced to the Regional Final on Saturday, March 11th, after defeating the Elder Panthers in a thrilling game on Wednesday night at the Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University. The Elks, who are now 24-3 overall, will face Fairfield in a rematch of last year's Regional Final, which the Elks won 55-39.

The game against the Panthers was a tale of two halves for the Elks. Indian-bound senior Gabe Cupps was on fire in the first half, pouring in 17 points to lead the Elks to a 33-19 halftime lead. However, the Panthers made some great halftime adjustments and double-teamed Cupps for most of the second half, keeping the ball completely out of his hands and holding him to just 5 total points in the second half.

Despite the Panthers' efforts, the Elks were able to maintain their lead throughout the second half. The score entering the fourth quarter was Centerville 40, Elder 30, but the Panthers fought back, cutting the lead to three points twice in the fourth quarter. However, the Elks were able to hang on, and Jonathan Powell's dunk at the buzzer sealed the win for the team.

The win was a team effort for the Elks, with Cupps finishing with 22 points and Jonathan Powell adding 11 points. The team will now face Fairfield in the Regional Final on Saturday, March 11th at 5 PM. Tickets for the game are now on sale at www.ohsaa.org/tickets, with the cost being $8 for students and $10 for adults.

The Elks are hoping for a strong showing from their fans, especially their student section, which has been relatively quiet during their tournament run so far. They are urging students to come out and support the team, especially since Fairfield will have strong student support at the game.

With only eight teams left in the entire state, the Elks are aware that they need their fans' support now more than ever. They are encouraging students not to use the excuse "I will wait until the team reaches UD Arena to attend, as they may not make it to UD. Fairfield is a very strong team with a great coach, and the Elks need all the support they can get in order to advance to the next round.