Brainerd Falls in State Title Game After Shaky Second Quarter

Murfreesboro, TN (WDEF) – One bad quarter was all it took to hurt Brainerd’s chances of winning a state championship. The Panthers lost 59-50 to Knox Fulton in the finals of the Class AA state title game.

Brainerd was up 11-10 to start the second quarter, when the Falcons turned up the heat and forced several turnovers.

Knox Fulton finished the game with 14 steals, and they forced Brainerd into 23 turnovers.

The Falcons out-scored Brainerd 21-6 in that decisive second quarter to go up 14 at halftime.

Said Panthers head coach Levar Brown,”I think they brought a fight in that second quarter. We were a little sluggish in that second quarter. I do feel like that’s the quarter that won the ballgame for them.”

To the Panthers credit, they rallied in the second half thanks to the play of Jesse Walker. He finished with a game high 23 points and a game high 13 rebounds.

Isaiah Shropshire hit the Panthers only 3-pointer of the game with 11 seconds left in the third quarter to cut the lead to eight. Walker then hit two foul shots before the period ended as the Panthers trailed 46-40 going to the final period.

Dajounta Ross scored on a fast break lay-up to cut the lead to two at 46-44.

With three minutes to play, the Panthers trimmed the lead to one after a free throw from Malik Beavers.

But the Falcons out-scored Brainerd 10-2 to close out the game to capture the state title.

Tre Davis led the Falcons with 14 points. Brainerd’s Kentrell Evans finished the game with ten points and five assists.