Tyner’s Kevin Cameron, left, shoots ahead of East Nashville’s Terry Holt during Tyner’s Class AA boys’ state basketball tournament game against East Nashville on Thursday at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Tyner lost 81-62.MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Tyner’s basketball team found itself trailing even before the first second had ticked off the game clock Thursday. The Rams never recovered from that ominous start as East Nashville rolled to an 81-62 win in the quarterfinals of the Class AA state tournament at Middle Tennessee State University.
Tyner was called for a technical foul during warmups, which allowed the Eagles to begin the game with a pair of free throws. East Nashville scored the game’s first five points and built a 14-point advantage by the end of the first quarter.
“They got that big lead right out of the gate and we never really recovered,” Rams coach Gerald Harris said. “The way the game started, then falling behind big early, all that stuff adds up mentally and can make guys try to force things they don’t normally do.
“We got good looks at the basket but didn’t convert, and our defense, which had carried us all season and usually helps us convert into easy baskets and get runs going, we really didn’t get the stops we needed.”
The Eagles maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second quarter. Although Tyner rallied early in the second half, the Rams never got closer than seven.