AMBRIDGE – Every day when they put in extra time before and after practice, Tay Lindsey, Aaron Hilzendeger and Monterey Carpenter take more shots from 3-point range than they do from inside arc.

“We shoot a ton of 3s every day,” Lindsey said.

And when it’s time to play, Ambridge coach Mark Jula gives them the green light to fire away from long distance.

Live by the 3? The Bridgers were thriving by it Friday night, largely because of Lindsey, Hilzendeger and Carpenter. As a result, Ambridge clinched a playoff berth with a 72-65 Section 2-4A win over Beaver Falls.

Lindsey, a senior point guard, matched his career high with 22 points. Twelve of his points came on his four 3-pointers.

Hilzendeger, a 6-foot-5 swingman, scored 16 points, nine coming on his three 3s.

Carpenter, a senior guard, scored 14 points. Twelve of them came on his four 3-pointers.

The Bridgers took the lead for good 60-58 on a Hilzendeger 3. Moments later, he made another to make it 63-58.

Then in the game’s last two minutes, Ambridge sealed the win by sinking 9 of 10 free throws.

So, after getting blown out at home by Central Valley on Tuesday, 67-48, the Bridgers clinched the program’s fifth playoff berth in Jula’s six seasons at Ambridge.

"We made some big shots when we had to," Lindsey said.

“Great win,” said Jula after the second-place Bridgers improved to 12-4 overall and 8-2 in the section.

Meanwhile, Beaver Falls dropped to 4-12 overall and 4-6 in the section.

“We’re getting better,” Beaver Falls coach Carliss Jeter said. “The kids played hard tonight. We have a young team, but like I said, we are getting better. We’re a much better team than we were at the beginning of the season.”

The Tigers got 22 points from junior guard Gage McKelvey and 20 from 6-3 sophomore guard Jevontae Jones.

But with four games left to play in the section — including two against first-place Quaker Valley (13-0, 9-0) and third-place New Castle (11-4, 6-3A) — Beaver Falls will have a hard-time making the playoffs.