In what has been a roller-coaster season for the Brainerd boys on the hardwood this winter, the Panthers have put themselves on the upswing at the right time again.
And as history repeated itself in Thursday night's TSSAA Region 2-2A championship game against Tyner, Kendrick Jones carved out a spot for himself in Brainerd basketball lore.
Anthony Byrd made a heads-up play, with the senior grabbing an offensive rebound off the left side of the hoop and tossing the ball back to Jones, who dribbled to his left before stepping back to hit the biggest shot of his prep career. Jones found nothing but net on his winning 3-pointer from the left corner — in front of his team's bench — with less than three seconds to play, sending the crowd inside the Arts & Sciences gymnasium into a frenzy.
Despite an 0-5 start to the season and having lost by a combined 72 points in three losses to Tyner previously this season, Brainerd took down the rival Rams for a third straight year in the region title game with a memorable 54-51 victory for coach Levar Brown's team.
The Panthers trailed 44-34 with 1:40 left in the third quarter, but in a parallel to their season, they kept going until things were in their favor.
"The way we did not give up on ourselves and continue to believe is a reflection of our head coach," said Jones, who was honored as the region tournament MVP. "Our head coach is a big part of our life. Coach Brown is not just a coach. He is also a dad. He is our dad. He is a great man, and for us to win this one together just makes me so happy on the inside.
"We stayed consistent through our struggles this year and never thought this season was a lost cause. It's really surreal and a big moment for us. ... A lot of people doubted us, but here we come sub-state."
The postseason will continue for both region finalists in Monday's sectional round, but the Rams must travel while the Panthers will get to host in the games with state tourney spots at stake.
Brainerd (16-13) also benefited from a sensational third quarter by point guard Ashton Munson, who at the end of the night lifted the region title plaque high in the air with his teammates.
Munson scored 11 of his 15 points in the period, and he and fellow senior Trea Shaw combined for nine 3-pointers in the game.
"Tyner and Brainerd are both known for being winning basketball programs," Munson said. "God has blessed me to become a part of the Panther family this year. My teammates and so many people here opened their arms to me when I came here from East Hamilton, and this is the furthest I have ever been in my career."
Shaw, a lefty 3-point specialist, drained a trio of shots from behind the arc in the first quarter. He added a pair of long-rangers in the fourth, including one that tied the game at 46 with six minutes to play.
Tyner (24-5) was led by junior Rodney Henderson's 19 points, while Adarius Brewster and Kohl Ward added 10 apiece.
The Rams fought back from a four-point deficit to tie at 51 on Zion Pinkerton's free throws with less than a minute left, but the Panthers once again found the magic.
"This season, we have been preaching mental toughness all year," said Brown, who has led his team to eight region title games over the past 10 years. "We lost nine seniors last year off a great team and knew we would have some struggles.
"They have controlled their emotions, and I appreciate every single one of my guys. My focus is making sure they are prepared when they leave us. To win big games like this is just extra to me. I love my boys, and we are extremely blessed. We have great kids, and we are just trying to uphold what the Panther tradition is."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.