With four TSSAA Class AA state-tournament appearances in the last five seasons, the Brainerd boys’ basketball program knows how to finish strong.
To begin the Henry Bowles Christmas Classic at Howard, however, it was a red-hot start propelled by senior point guard Cameron Evans and junior forward Deaunte Crawford that led the Panthers to a comfortable 68-58 victory Friday over John Overton High School of Nashville.
In the nightcap, Tyner improved to 7-0 as it allowed just 17 second-half points to turn a two-point halftime lead into a 64-50 win over Maplewood. Kobe Smith scored 13 of his 16 points in the first half, while Melique Hambrick hit four of the Rams’ 3-pointers and Nieagell Sturkey scored seven of his 11 in the fourth quarter.
Brainerd’s Evans also showed relentless effort on the defensive end as he would not let his opponents get past midcourt.
The Panthers’ energizer picked up three quick steals, the last of which he took from one 3-point arc to the far basket with a slick finger-roll layup through contact. That gave them a 19-2 lead with 3:31 left in the first quarter.
“Cameron has been waiting on his moment to lead and shine,” Brainerd coach Levar Brown said. “He plays extremely hard, along with Jonte Williams. They are our glue guys. We feel like they hold us together as we keep building towards (postseason) tournament time.”
With standout scorer LaDerron Freeman out until mid-January, the Panthers (6-4) were pleased by the performance of the 6-foot-4 Crawford.
The transfer from East Hamilton ran the court with assertiveness and skied over multiple defenders for a tip-in bucket. “Bubba” Crawford scored 10 of his game-high 20 points in the opening eight minutes.
Brainerd’s defense provided extra scoring opportunities early, and the Panthers were 10-of-13 from inside the arc in the first quarter.
“Deaunte does give us a presence inside that we have been missing since we lost Jessie Walker,” Brown said. “He’s getting an opportunity to see the floor, and Bubba’s coming into his own.”
Just before halftime, Brainerd freshman guard Dennis Lewis Jr. went up and under the basket to make a left-handed layup with his back turned to the hoop. His old-fashioned three-point play provided a 36-22 halftime lead.
“The biggest thing for this team is we need our young guys to get more reps and contribute,” Brown said. “We are playing four freshmen. Dennis excites me. He is just barely over 5 feet tall, but he is all heart and plays larger than he is.”
With senior point guard Kevin Halfacre Jr. (10 points) also a vital piece for success, growing over the break will be key.
“We are getting in shape and focused,” Crawford said. “It’s important we find chemistry right now and play together. I have to run the court, get open looks and get my teammates involved. I came to Brainerd because I want to win state and I really love the tradition here.”
The schedule Saturday at Howard includes East Hamilton vs. Coahulla Creek (4 p.m.), East Ridge vs. Lighthouse Christian (5:30), Pearl-Cohn vs. Tyner (7) and Maplewood vs. Brainerd (8:30).
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.