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If there's one thing the Brookhaven High School boys basketball team has learned through its years of dominating City League-North Division and central Ohio opponents, it is that losing to Mifflin is not tolerated.

The Bearcats have learned it so well that it's become a mini-tradition of sorts: Their only loss in 2002, when they won the Division I state championship, was 80-78 in overtime to the Punchers, but they've won 18 of the last 19 meetings between the schools.

Although several of Brookhaven's juniors have been key contributors in a few cases the last two years, junior Cameron Campbell said they know it's not a goal to beat Mifflin; it's an expectation.

"We don't lose to Mifflin," said Campbell, who has had some of his best games against the Punchers this season, including in a 71-57 win in a Division I regional semifinal March 10 in the Fairgrounds Coliseum when he had 10 points and helped hold Mifflin's Cordaryl Ballard to 14. "That's what you don't do at Brookhaven. You just can't."

The Punchers fell at the regional level for the third consecutive season, and the final result of the semifinal rarely was in doubt. Brookhaven built an 18-9 lead in the first quarter and never led by fewer than five the rest of the way.

Mifflin trailed 48-38 going into the fourth quarter, made it 48-40 on a basket by Eric Hutson with 7:22 left and 48-43 on a 3-pointer by Jordan Edwards with 6:53 remaining, but the Bearcats scored the next eight points.

Senior Jamelle Cornley was held to nine points in a 56-39 loss last Saturday to Cincinnati Moeller in a regional final at the Fairgrounds as Brookhaven finished 21-5, and Ballard was held about eight points under his scoring average in his final prep game as the Punchers finished 17-5.

The Bearcats also beat the Punchers 85-75 on Dec. 10 and 85-82 on Jan. 21.

"Our goal collectively was to cut Cordaryl's scoring in half," said Brookhaven coach Hali Robinson, whose team committed 37 turnovers but got 19 points and 12 rebounds from Cornley and 17 points and 12 rebounds from Jeff Cumberland as it held the Punchers to 22 of 72 shooting. "Defensively, anytime you can hold Cordaryl's production down to about half, we did a good job."

Ballard, who finished with more than 1,200 points for his career and played varsity since midway through his freshman season, was joined in the senior class by Terrance Woods, Juawan Spann, Hutson, Royal Porter and Edwards.

The Punchers are expected to return juniors Phillip Morris and DeShon Brooks and sophomore Terrence Pearson.

Coach Gene Caslin said the team likely will move down to Division II next year.

"I've got to take my hat off to my kids," Caslin said. "We had six seniors and they've given it to me all four years. Division I was tough in the district this year, and we've just got to keep plugging away next year. Our first game next year (in the league) will be us playing Brookhaven at Brookhaven, but at least Cornley will be gone."