Brainerd's Kentrell Evans, right, shoots ahead of Tyner's Kemarcus Young during their 6-AA basketball tournament game at Hixson High School on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
ATHENS, Tenn. - Brainerd's and Tyner's basketball games went eerily similar Tuesday night at McMinn County. And as a result, the Panthers' and Rams' fans will be treated to "round five" as Tyner coach Keitha Booker called it.
Brainerd defeated East Ridge 59-43 in the first semifinal, and Tyner beat McMinn Central 56-41 in the other.
The Panthers and the Rams will meet for a tiebreaking fifth time in boys' high school basketball this season Thursday in the Region 3-AA final. But it won't take place in Chattanooga.
The girls' championship game scheduled tonight at McMinn County has been moved to Thursday because of expected heavy thunderstorms. That game between Sequoyah and McMinn Central now is set for 6 p.m., and Brainerd (27-5) will play Tyner (26-3) in the boys' final at 7:30.
The Panthers never trailed in their game. The Rams' only deficit was 3-0.
Brainerd closed the first quarter on a 7-0 run and finished the first half with a 9-0 spurt for a 36-17 lead at the break. Tyner's halftime lead was 12.
Neither of the teams' opponents went away quietly in the second half. East Ridge (12-18) got within 11 twice in the fourth quarter. The last came when Marquis Hinton hit a 3-point shot with 4:02 remaining to get the Pioneers within 51-40.
"In the third quarter and a little bit of the fourth we got away from what we had been doing," Brainerd coach Levar Brown said. "We wanted to run them off the 3-point line and make them drive. We did a great job of that in the first half."
The last six field goals for McMinn Central's Chargers, who also got within 11 in the fourth quarter, were from outside the arc.
"We knew they had some shooters," Tyner coach Keitha Booker said. "We wanted to cut down on their shooters and make them put the ball on the floor. Unfortunately they still got some wide-open looks and hit some 3s. They got us out of our style of play."
Brainerd responded to the Pioneers' closing in with three consecutive baskets - the first one by Jessie Walker in close and the third when floor leader Kentrell Evans finished after weaving through the lane. Walker led the Panthers with 17 points and Evans added 13.
"It's a great luxury having him inside," Brown said of Walker. "And having a point guard that's been playing for four years."
Elijah Garmany had two of the Pioneers' six 3-point goals and led them with 16 points.
Although Booker liked that his team got the game going up-tempo, he didn't like the throwaways and creative shots he started to see and called time out with 5:47 to play. His team looked much more under control the rest of the way.
"Basically we talked about keeping our composure," Booker said. "We were putting up some crazy shots; some bad shots."
Kevin Cameron's 22 points led Tyner. Substitute Jeremy Elston was next with 11.
Jordan Carter was the high scorer for McMinn Central (9-19) with 14 points, and Bryce Mason scored 11. They teamed for seven of the Chargers' nine 3-point goals.
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.