By Pat Culverhouse

More than two decades ago, a Minden High basketball team, featuring a pair of players named Brown and Reamer, made it to the LHSAA state playoffs.

After a 52-44 win by the Crimson Tide over Franklin Parish Friday, an MHS team lead by a head coach named Brown and an assistant named Reamer will be heading to the Top 28 for the first time since 2001.

“My brother, Eric, was on the last Minden team that made it to the state tournament,” head coach Jacob Brown said after the win that sends the Crimson Tide to Lake Charles. Assistant Jeremy Reamer was also on that team.

Brown said his Tiders won the game primarily on the strength of what he said they enjoy doing most on the court.

“These guys love to play defense. They force the other team to make mistakes and take advantage,” he said. “That’s what we saw tonight. Franklin had some very big, beefy guys, a couple of 6’8” players, but our guys fought hard.”

Franklin Parish made it tough on the Tide in the early going, taking a 12-10 lead in a rough and tumble first quarter. But a three-pointer just before halftime sent the Tide into the locker room with a 28-25 lead.

Minden applied the defensive pressure in the third quarter to help open an 11-point lead,  holding the Patriots to just eight points while moving ahead 44-33. The Tide then held off a pair of Patriots’ fourth quarter comeback attempts to punch their ticket to the LHSAA Division II Non-Select semifinals.

Darnell Morris led the Tide, and all scorers in the game, with 17 points followed by Cameron Parker with 13. Carmelo Smith added seven points, Jaiden Franklin and Chris Harris had five apiece, Christian Loftin tossed in three and Kameron Harris had two.

Tavon Bell led Franklin Parish (18-15) with 17 points followed by Drew Cooper with 15.

Minden, now 23-3 for the season, will be looking for a touch of revenge in Thursday’s semifinal matchup when they face off with a District 1-4A partner, the Bossier Bearkats. The Bearkats gave the Tide its only blemish in conference play, winning 66-52 in early February.

Bossier, the division’s number six seed, upped its season record to 21-11 with a 69-58 win over A.J. Ellender Friday to advance.

Thursday’s semifinal matchup is scheduled to tip off at 2:45 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally on KBEF, 104.5 FM.