Howard boys, Brainerd girls win 6-AA third-place games

(Mark Pace/Times Free Press) Howard's Anthony Cal makes a free throw to give his team the lead with 1.8 seconds left in a District 6-AA consolation game against East Ridge. Cal made four free throws in the final 2 seconds to give his team a 4-point win.
(Mark Pace/Times Free Press) Howard's Anthony Cal makes a free throw to give his team the lead with 1.8 seconds left in a District 6-AA consolation game against East Ridge. Cal made four free throws in the final 2 seconds to give his team a 4-point win.

It was only fitting for third place in District 6-AA to come down to the final seconds between Howard and East Ridge.

Howard's Anthony Cal made four free throws in the final 1.8 seconds to give the Hustlin' Tigers the 61-57 win Monday night at Hixson.

The two teams split their two regular-season meetings. The first matchup was the highest scoring game of the season for both teams. The second was the lowest. East Ridge won the first by seven points. Howard won the second by eight.

"There's just something about East Ridge and Howard," Howard coach Walter McGary said. "It's not the rivalries that we have with Brainerd and Tyner, but it's getting that way. It's always tough, and it's always competitive. Always."

And with five seconds left, this game was no different. The game was tied, and the ball was in Howard point guard Marquez Williams' hands. Cal came up high to set the screen.

"I was looking to attack first," Williams said. "But right away, I saw his man and my man come to me. He was open, so I dropped it down to him and trusted and believed he'd make it."

Cal snatched Williams' pass and was knocked to the floor as he contorted and twisted toward the basket, shooting, hoping for a win. Instead, a whistle blew, and the foul was called.

"I knew I had to knock it down," Cal said. "I've been off, but I just had to knock it down."

He did that and more. After converting both free throws, he then was fouled in a scrum to get the inbound pass. He made two more free throws to seal the victory.

Williams led the team with four 3-pointers and 15 points.

Howard may not have won without the play of a junior varsity call-up. Talejah Snow was inserted for energy but looked like a varsity star.

"He's been playing hard all year," McGary said. "He's not as gifted as some of my other kids, but he works hard, and that was what we've been missing."

Snow scored two late baskets and finished with 12 points while providing size inside.

Howard's size, energy and depth overpowered the Pioneers early. The Hustlin' Tigers led 19-9 after the first quarter, 39-30 at halftime and 50-41 after the third, but East Ridge used timely baskets and offensive rebounds to take the lead, 51-50, after a steal and deep East Ridge 3-pointer.

East Ridge's Elijah Garmany led the rally and scored a game-high 19 points.

The teams traded baskets before Williams hit another 3 in the game's final minutes to stop the run and give Howard the lead.

"I was in my zone, and I had to keep my composure," Williams said. "I knew my team needed me, so I had to come here and play big."

Both teams move on to the Region 3 tournament and play on the road Saturday.

* Brainerd 39, East Ridge 35: The tortoise won by a hare in the girls' third-place game. East Ridge led for almost its entirety, but a slow, methodical approach gave Brainerd the win.

"I guess we're just comfortable with being down and coming back," Lady Panthers coach Stanley Jackson said.

Junior guard Kia Render scored 11 points, seven in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Kenisha Price contributed eight.

"(Price) is a leader," Jackson said. "(The team) feeds off of her. She feeds off of me. And No. 3 (Render) is basically the Robin of this team. If Price is Batman, Kia Render is Robin. She picks up a lot of the slack when everyone is focusing on Price."

Contact Mark Pace at 423-757-6361 or mpace@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @THEMarkPace and on Facebook at Facebook.com/themarkpace.

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