SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. -- With noise swirling all around him, Drew Roberts somehow was able to imagine he was instead back in the quiet Van Buren County High School gym, shooting free throws during practice.
The Eagles junior blocked out the racket coming down from a packed gym here and calmly made four free throws in the final 35 seconds to help his team knock off Arts & Sciences and claim the Region 3-A championship Saturday night, 51-49.
"I just blanked everything else out and concentrated on making them, just like at practice," said Roberts, who totaled 17 points an was named the tournament MVP. "We were picked fifth in our own district before the season, so to win the region is just unbelievable."
It's the first region championship in program history for the Eagles (18-15), who have six freshmen and only one senior on their 12-man roster and were making their first appearance in a region title game since 1975. Van Buren had reached the final by slipping past Boyd-Buchanan by two in Friday night's semifinals on Caden Mills' buzzer-beater.
The Spencer school swept both region crowns as the Eaglettes beat Boyd-Buchanan 57-49 earlier in the evening.
Both Van Buren teams will host state sectional games, the girls on Monday and the boys on Tuesday, while Boyd-Buchanan's girls will travel in Monday's sectional round and CSAS's Patriots will travel on Tuesday.
"I'm just so proud of this team," said Eagles coach Drew Sullivan, a 1999 Van Buren graduate. "We're so young but we had said before the season that we weren't going to talk about the future and ignore this season, because that wouldn't be fair to (senior) Ryan (Walling).
"It takes a while to grow up, and these kids have worked hard to get here."
Neither team ever took control, as the lead exchanged hands but never by more than six points. Van Buren, which had lost by seven and eight points earlier this season to CSAS, made just two field goals in the fourth quarter but hit 9 of 11 free throws. The Patriots were 2-of-6 from the free-throw line in the last two minutes.
In the girls' game, Van Buren extended a four-point halftime lead to double digits in the third quarter with an 18-6 run, but then had to hold off a late rally by the Lady Bucs, who got as close as six in the final minutes.
State Miss Basketball finalist Lakelyn Bouldin, who was named the tournament MVP, led all scorers with 27 points. Boyd-Buchanan was led by Marissa McCalla's 25 points, including three 3-pointers, and Madison Balthrop added 14.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.