It was just another typical Tyner-Howard basketball game.
The stakes were a bit higher on Tuesday night at Tyner, but the intensity level has never been higher. Every shot, every pass and seemed like every decision by either team was challenged.
And while the gym wasn't packed to capacity like a normal Tyner-Howard game, there was plenty of spirit in the crowd as they were rewarded with a great game by both teams.
The 6-AA tournament title was on the line and the top-seeded Rams prevailed by a 38-36 margin, but it was one of those games where it could have gone either way and it was a shame that either team had to lose.
Both teams will be at home on Saturday to host first-round region games, Tyner facing McMinn Central and Howard taking on Sweetwater.
Tyner’s E’Jay Ward has been the leader of the Rams for four seasons now and Tuesday’s game was Tyner’s second win over the Hustlin’ Tigers this year and the third-straight district tournament title. Tyner beat Howard last year, so Tuesday’s game was almost an instant replay.
“Two pretty good teams were battling out there, so that was about what I expected,” Ward said after a talk with his kids.
“I’m a defensive-minded coach, so I wasn’t surprised it was so low scoring. I told my kids before the game that I’d take a one-point win. The difference was two.
“We know each other well and know what the other one is going to do, but we knew that Howard wasn’t going to back down. But there at the end, we got the shot we wanted and the play we were looking for,” Ward reflected.
Howard coach James Talley could only shake his head when the game ended.
“That was a heckuva game, but it seemed like Tyner got every break tonight and they executed when it counted down the stretch,” Talley said.
“We don’t ever seem to shoot well in this gym for some reason and we missed a lot of layups, but we didn’t quit. Games like this only make us better, but both teams wanted it. Kerrick Thorne got in foul trouble in the first half and had to spend a lot of time on the bench and that hurt, but it was just two evenly matched teams tonight.
“Now we just have to put this game behind us and move on,” he nodded.
The Rams had a 26-20 lead when the fourth quarter began, but Howard took a 28-26 lead when Xavier Fisher canned a 3 from the wing with 5:09 to play.
There were two ties and three lead changes in that frantic final five minutes.
Mark Greer had scored on a drive down the lane with 53 seconds to play as Howard knotted the score for the last time at 36-36.
The Rams slowed the pace and were content to run time off the clock before calling a timeout with 13.7 seconds left. Amarion Dillard drove down the lane as the clock was quickly winding down. Contact was made as he attempted an inside shot, but no foul was called.
Howard called a final timeout with 3.6 seconds left before Tyner inbounded the ball. Latavious Conyers was on the receiving end of the pass deep in the lane, but he handled it cleanly before going up for the game-winning shot as the buzzer sounded.
Dillard scored nine points to lead Tyner while Trent Gresham was next with seven. Keelan Jackson and Conyers both finished with five points apiece.
Fisher was the leading scorer for Howard with 13 points. Thorne was next with seven while Meechie Bowens added six.
Howard had an unofficial 33-30 edge in rebounds as Thorne grabbed nine and Chris Hall seven for the Hustlin’ Tigers. Jackson snagged 11 for the Rams.
Tyner improves to 17-2 with its seventh straight win while Howard is now 16-4.
HOWARD 9 8 3 16 -- 36
TYNER 8 11 7 12 -- 38
HOWARD (36) – Greer 4, Dixon 3, Jenkins, Thorne 7, Bowens 6, Fisher 13, Hall 2, Dupree 1.
TYNER (38) – Hambrick 2, Gresham 7, Dillard 9, Bloodsaw 4, Ross 3, Holloway 1, Jackson 5, Conyers 5, Sims 2.
3-POINT GOALS: Howard 3 (Fisher 3); Tyner 2 (Gresham, Jackson).
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)