Tyner players celebrate after their 76-71 win over Livingston Academy on Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2014, at Tyner High School in Chattanooga, Tenn.Tyner boys’ basketball coach Gerald Harris had a message for his team before Tuesday’s TSSAA Class AA state sectional home game. He wrote on the dry-erase board in the locker room: “In order to win the state, you’ve got to get in.”
The Rams are in.
Tyner showed stretches of dominance, particularly in the middle quarters, but had to fend off a late Livingston Academy rally to secure a 76-71 victory over the Wildcats.
The state tournament will be held March 12-15 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. Tyner (25-3) will be making its first trip since 2010.
The Rams never had a lead until DeVante Jones converted a four-point play to make it 18-17 at the 6:19 mark of the second quarter. But by the time Sadik Spence, who finished with 14 points, made consecutive 3-point shots in the final 23 seconds of the half, the margin was 42-27.