By SAM STAFF/Sports Writer

TYLERTOWN — The St. Patrick boys will, after all, have a shot at defending their Region 8-3A Tournament title.

The Fighting Irish slipped past home-standing Tylertown 37-34 in a tightly contested contest in the league tourney semifinal round Thursday night. The win pushes St. Patrick into the Region 3-8A Tournament title tilt for the third straight season, where it will face top-seed and arch-rival St. Stanislaus Friday night at 8:30 here at Tylertown High School.

This will mark the third meeting between the two Catholic League foes this season, and the Rock-A-Chaws have won the previous two games during regular season play.

In a defensive battle throughout, the Fighting Irish led 29-23 entering the fourth quarter and were able to hold off a Tylertown rally.

The teams were knotted up at 13-13 at halftime, but St. Patrick got a pair of 3-pointers from Grayden Davis in the third frame and outscored the Chiefs 16-10 in the period to take that aforementioned six points advantage into the final period.

Then, Liam Buchanan, who also had five points including a triple of his own in that decisive third quarter, dropped in two more baskets for four points down the stretch to help the Fighting Irish keep the home team at bay and seal the win.

Both Buchanan and Brendan Moton scored nine points apiece to lead St. Patrick to the win, while Davis added seven points.

The loss overshadowed an excellent night from Tylertown’s Jeremy Martin, as he tallied a game-high 17 points for the Chiefs.

The win clinched an opening round home game for the Fighting Irish next Tuesday when the Class 3A South State playoffs begin. St. Patrick defeated Tylertown 46-43 last season in the league tourney title tilt.