Free throws were key in the District 6-AA semifinal matchup Saturday at Hixson between the Brainerd Panthers and the Howard Hustlin' Tigers, which ended in a 62-52 victory for Brainerd.
Just eight days earlier against Tyner, Brainerd shot 40 free throws but made only 17. At the time coach Levar Brown said shooting that poorly from the line was "very uncharacteristic" of his Panthers.
Indeed they were much more efficient against Howard, making 10 of 13 attempts.
"We had to knock down our free throws when we got the opportunity," he said Saturday night.
Howard, meanwhile, missed all 10 of its free throws in the 10-point loss that dropped the Tigers to 15-10.
"It's been like that all season. We just haven't been able to hit free throws," Howard coach Walter McGary said.
The Tigers were able to stay within range thanks to solid inside scoring and a great effort rebounding the ball. Anthony Cal was the catalyst in those respects, as he continually got big rebounds and made tough shots inside. He finished with 14 points.
Howard could not find the touch on outside jump shots as Brainerd (19-4) continually switched defenses, keeping the Tigers out of rhythm. The Panthers also applied a full-court press, which caused Howard to make rushed decisions early on.
"We like to switch defenses a lot," Brown said. "Going into a game we want to switch it up a lot, but we really let the game dictate what we do and stick with what's working."
Everything seemed to be working for the Panthers in the first half, as they took a 37-20 lead into the break.
"Practices went really well leading up to this one, but (the players) didn't follow the game plan from the start," McGary said. "That put us in a hole, and it's hard coming back from that hole."
It was much of the same in the third quarter; however, it was a different story in the fourth, when Howard outscored Brainerd 21-12. McGary played a few different players in that quarter who don't normally play much at all, and he may have found a silver lining moving forward in the postseason.
"Some of the guys just gave up, so that's why I put a whole new group of guys in there in the fourth quarter, and they showed some fight," he said. "They haven't played much this season, but they will from now on."
One of those players was Brandon Haney, who came in and hit three 3-point baskets in a span of two minutes. He was Howard's second leading scorer behind Cal with 11 points in very limited action.
Howard will play East Ridge Monday night in the third-place game. Brainerd will face Tyner on Tuesday for the District 6-AA championship.
Contact Ted Bryant at sports@timesfreepress.com