MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - For a team that wasn't given much of a shot at returning to the Class AAA boys' state basketball tournament, Walker Valley gave it a good run.
The Mustangs were minutes away from a second straight trip to Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center, but host Oakland turned up the defense and pulled away for a 57-45 sectional win Monday evening.
"Last year, what our guys got to feel is how (Oakland) is feeling right now," said Walker Valley coach Bob Williams. "We were a half away from getting back again.
"It's still a great accomplishment for the guys. I'm proud of them, to come back that close."
Bryce Nunnelly led the Mustangs with 20 points.
Walker Valley (20-13) trailed just 23-22 at halftime and began the third quarter with a 5-0 run to take a 27-23 advantage. But Oakland (24-7) dominated the rest of the way.
The Patriots went on runs of 8-0 and 14-2 to take control of the game. Five points was as close as Walker Valley got after the third-quarter Oakland barrage.
"I thought we did a good job at the defensive end most of the game," Williams said. "We just couldn't make plays at the other end against their zone (defense) and traps."
Walker Valley cut the lead to 39-34 early in the fourth quarter on a Nunnelly basket, but two free throws put the Patriots up by seven, a steal and a 25-foot 3-pointer by Keishawn Davidson made it 44-34 and a layup pushed the lead to 12.
Oakland led by 15 late.
"Our guys did a good job changing (defensively), and we were able to disrupt their offense," Oakland coach Troy Bond said.