JASPER, Tenn. - In a moment of pure joy, Brainerd boys' basketball coach Levar Brown doused junior point guard Dennis Lewis Jr. with water Thursday night as the Panthers celebrated the 18th region championship in program history.
Mere minutes before, junior Donivon Thomas had sprinted from the left corner and down the baseline to the right side of the hoop just in time to make a game-saving block, and Lewis defended against Tyner's second-chance shot, with the ball falling into the hands of Jakyse Locklin as the buzzer sounded.
Locklin put forth his most memorable performance yet in his first season with the Panthers. The senior had a team-high 14 points, made the winning free throw with 11 seconds left and grabbed 12 rebounds in Brainerd's 52-51 triumph over Tyner in the Region 2-2A championship game at Marion County High School.
"Jakyse really wanted this championship, and so did all of our guys," said Brown, whose program posted its biggest victory since beating Howard for a region title in 2019. "I have been telling my guys all year that we are just a big puzzle and each one is a major important piece. Figure out your piece and where you fit, and everything will come together in the end. To see the puzzle come together tonight was special, but the job is not finished yet."
After losing to the Rams by 40 combined points in two regular-season defeats, the Panthers were able to shrink the gap when they lost by six in the district championship game.
Due in major part to the toughness down low on the defensive end of Brainerd junior Donivon Thomas, the Panthers (15-11) were able to exact revenge with the region title on the line. Thomas was a rock as he made it extremely tough to make a shot over his 6-foot-5 frame.
He also had a key bucket in the fourth quarter, spinning around two defenders on the right baseline to finish through a foul. His free throw bounced away from Tyner defenders for Locklin to scoop up and put back for a 48-43 lead.
"Donivon has been the most dominant player in the paint this year, probably in all of east Tennessee," Brown said. "He is our anchor on defense. He and every single one of these guys wanted to play at home on Monday night.
"Tyner is a major ballclub, and coach E'Jay Ward is my family and I love him. I anticipate both of us being in Murfreesboro."
The sectionals are Monday night, with spots in the upcoming state tournament in Murfreesboro going to the winners. Brainerd will host Gatlinburg-Pittman (24-8) at 7 p.m., while Tyner (22-10) will travel to Alcoa (17-17), which beat Gatlinburg-Pittman 62-56 in the Region 1 championship game.
Freshman guard Rodney Henderson scored 11 of his game-high 22 points in the second quarter for the Rams, whose Nehemiah Bloodsaw turned his game on late for eight of his 10 points.
Locklin finished up his double-double performance with an important box-out late as he was fouled going up for a rebound on the defensive end. His second free throw helped seal the win.
"After losing to them three times, we definitely had a chip on our shoulder," said Lewis, who has averaged more than 16 points per game. "We were doubted from the start, and now we are on top. Our whole team was ready to play tonight, and everyone came up big."
Brown said none of the success the Panthers have had this year would be possible without his third-year starting point guard who has played big minutes since his freshman year.
"Dennis is the heart and soul of our basketball team," Brown said. "He leads us in every way on and off the court. He is our engine. We are not successful without Dennis Lewis Jr."
Region 3-4A final
Coffee County 51, Walker Valley 46 (OT): The Mustangs fell in overtime and so must travel to take on Cane Ridge (24-6) in a sectional Monday, while Coffee County will host Stewarts Creek.
Region 3-1A final
Van Buren County 75, Chattanooga Prep 59: Chattanooga Prep made four straight 3-pointers in the first half, and it was 27-all at halftime. Chattanooga Prep (10-4) will travel to Clay County (22-6) for a sectional Monday, when Van Buren County (20-11) will host East Robertson (23-6).
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.