The only real drama was waiting to see how long it would take Tyner to put the game away. It turns out the Rams needed less than a half.
Tyner built a double-digit lead barely a minute into the second quarter and cruised the rest of the way to a 67-31 victory over visiting Loudon in a quarterfinal of the Region 3-AA boys' basketball tournament Saturday. Tyner (25-3) will face East Ridge in Tuesday's region semifinals.
Despite a lethargic beginning, the Rams closed the opening quarter on an 8-2 run, then opened the second with 12 consecutive points, sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers by KeMarcus Young and Kevin Cameron. Young also had a pair of steals and quick outlet passes to Jerrion Christopher, who converted those turnovers into layups, and the rout was on.
"We know they're a well-coached team, so if we didn't come out and take care of business early, they could hang around and maybe even beat us," Young said. "We're playing pretty good right now, but we've got to turn it up even more."
It was when the Rams turned up the defensive pressure in the second quarter that they were able to really take command. The Redskins couldn't put together baskets on consecutive possessions until midway through the third quarter, when the game already was decided.
"That's been the key for us all year, our defense," said Rams coach Keitha Booker, whose team is coming off winning the District 6 championship over rival Brainerd last week. "When we can speed the game up, get that pressure going and create some turnovers, our guys really feed off that. It took a while to get going tonight. It was ugly at the start, but once we got a little energy and the momentum, that really got our confidence going.
"I reminded our guys before the game, now that we're in the postseason, it's win or go home and if you don't show up ready to play all four quarters, anybody can beat you. But when we're focused and playing defense the way we're capable, we can be pretty good."
After another sluggish start to the second half, Tyner's pressure defense forced Loudon into eight turnovers in the third quarter alone, and by the final quarter the lead reached 30 points and the Rams were able to empty their bench.
Christopher led a balanced Tyner scoring with 16 points, while Cameron added 13 and Kevin McCawley 11. Seven Rams connected on 3-pointers.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com