Kevin Cameron was tired of the slow starts to games by his Tyner basketball team. So the senior guard went out and took matters into his own hands Wednesday, scoring 12 of his team's 14 first-quarter points and helping the Rams race to an early lead they never gave up.
Tyner remained unbeaten with a 50-41 victory over Baylor in the first round of the Times Free Press Best of Preps tournament at Chattanooga State.
"We've been coming out slow all season, which was frustrating," said Cameron, who finished with a game-high 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. "My coaches and even my family had told me that I needed to step up and lead more and do whatever it took to help the team. That's all I was trying to do."
Cameron scored Tyner's first 10 points, opening the game with back-to-back 3-pointers, then added a layup in the first minute of the second quarter to put the Rams ahead by 10.
Baylor (3-2) cut Tyner's lead to two points twice in the second quarter, but each time the Rams (8-0) answered to regain control.
Beyaun Hendricks connected on a 3-pointer with 1:21 remaining to bring the Red Raiders within four, but Tyner responded with six straight points, making six of eight free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
"That's the best first half we've played all year," Tyner coach Keitha Booker said. "We were solid on defense and moved around well on offense until we found places to attack their zone. I'm proud of the kids, because Baylor is a very tough team. We didn't have the size to match them, but we were aggressive and made plays.
"Kevin is one of those guys that you can't just look at his points to see how he leads this team. He's a special talent, and I'm glad to be coaching him and not having to go against him. He sets the tone for us, and our other guys feed off him. I'm glad he set the tone early today."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.