WORCESTER — A season ago, Monument Mountain’s unbeaten campaign was ended with a 30-point loss to Holland Tech on its home floor in the Elite Eight.

The Spartans had to wait nearly a full year for another shot at the Bulldogs and on Wednesday at Worcester State, they landed haymaker after haymaker.

In a game befitting of a state final instead of the semifinals, the Spartans took every counter punch the top seed could offer. And thanks to 21 points from Manny Brown and critical free throws down the stretch, they held on for a 68-65 win and a date with Georgetown at the Tsongas Center.

“We knew this was going to be a game of runs and we were fortunate to have the last one,” Spartans coach Randy Koldys said.

There was nothing to choose between the teams for nearly the entire 32 minutes. After Holland put together a 13-5 run to end the third quarter and begin the fourth to grab a 49-47 lead, there was a sense the Bulldogs (20-4) were ready to pull away.

But Brown, Dom Caulutti and Griffin McElroy were having none of it for Monument Mountain (22-2). Especially when Brown had to sit with four fouls and six minutes left.

Caulutti and McElroy, who each had 18, scored six of the next eight Spartan points before Brown hit a three to make it 58-55 with 2:30 left.

That lead didn’t last long as Yassine Amghar’s three gave the Bulldogs a 60-58 lead inside the two minute mark.

Isaiah Keefner tied the game with 1:36 left on two free throws before the Spartans took the lead for good thanks to back to back hoops from Brown.

It was still a four-point game with :25 left when Jasaad Fenton hit a three for Holland to cut the margin to one. McElroy, however, stepped to the line with six seconds left and coolly swished two shots to make it a three-point game.

The Bulldogs got a final look at a tying three but it clanged off the front iron, sparking a wild celebration for those in green and white.

“We were able to take a lot of their punches and respond with our own,” Koldys said. “Everyone contributed and we needed it.”

Fenton finished with 18 for the Bulldogs in his final game in blue and white. Ian Piper added 15 and Amghar ended up with 10 of his 14 in the fourth.