ATHENS, Tenn. – Ahead 19-5 and clearly outplaying top-seeded Bradley Central at the end of one period in Tuesday’s District 5-AAA championship game, Walker Valley had an all-business huddle between quarters.
The Mustangs knew a storm was brewing.
Bob Williams’ team weathered that storm, though, and made its early lead stand up with a 71-62 win. Walker Valley (19-9) will host Cumberland County this Saturday night in the Region 3 quarterfinals, while Bradley (22-6) will host Warren County.
“Bradley is a well-coached team that always plays hard, and no lead is safe against them,” said Walker Valley’s Josh Jones, who torched the Bears for 30 points. “Tonight we got up big and we said at the end of that first quarter we had to keep playing hard because we knew they were going to make a run.”
That early run included 10 Jones points, capped by a deep 3-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play to close the opening quarter.
As predicted, though, Bradley did not stay down long. With the Bears trailing 26-17 midway through the second quarter, Bradley McCurdy’s 3-pointer ignited a 7-0 run in under a minute. However, for the first of several times, the Mustangs didn’t bow, using a Kenny Bunton 3-pointer and a Kolton Gibson drive to regain momentum and hold a 36-30 halftime edge.
“We knew they were going to throw (Cole) Copeland and McCurdy at us, and they really hurt us during the regular season,” Williams said. “They’re both really good players and they’re going to make shots, but we did a good job on them.”
Copeland, held to six first-half points, found his range in the third period, scoring seven. He and John Brown hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cap a 10-0 run ending the quarter, cutting the Walker Valley lead to two and seemingly taking control of the game’s flow.
Again the Mustangs stood firm, getting a putback by Bryce Nunnally and a top-of-the-key 3-pointer from Jones to go back up seven. Bradley rallied one more time on McCurdy’s 3-pointer and Brown’s three-point play, and when Copeland nailed a 3-pointer with 2:50 to play, the Walker Valley lead was just 63-62.
The Bears would not score again. Bunton completed a strong drive for a three-point lead and Copeland missed a pair of 3-point attempts. Jones sealed the win with four free throws, setting off a massive celebration in the packed McMinn County gym.
“This means everything to us,” said Jones, an all-tournament-team medal around his neck. “In December we were 8-6, but the way we came together and started playing in 2016 says everything.”
Williams, whose team lost two regular-season matchups with the Bears, said the difference Tuesday was simple.
“It was two evenly matched teams and the team that made more plays down the stretch won – and tonight it was us,” he said. “Just to be in the spot where we are now is a credit to these guys.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.