A loose ball rolled free for what seemed like minutes before Hamilton’s Jordan Cummings collected it and put it through the net with 17 seconds remaining in the Class AAA boys basketball state championship game. The basket was the eventual game-winner as they went on to defeat Brentwood 65-62.
The Bruins staged a comeback of epic proportions, trailing by 13 points with 3:39 remaining before their full-court press stymied Hamilton’s offense and led to a 20-6 run.
Grant Teichmann gave Brentwood a 62-61 advantage with 45 seconds on the clock on an assist and steal from Jalen Lawson to cap the run which featured five 3-pointers.
The Bruins led by as much as 24-12 midway through the second quarter before Hamilton ending the period on a 15-2 run. In that stretch Cummings scored 11 of his team-high 21 points for Hamilton.
Dedric Lawson recorded a double-double for Hamilton with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
The Wildcats did their best to slow Brentwood’s Lawson by face guarding him the length of the floor, but he still managed 19 points, and six assists – shooting 5-of-7 from 3-point land.
Teichmann had 16 points and seven rebounds. His back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second quarter gave the Bruins their biggest lead of the day 19-8.
Both teams had their A-game, Brentwood shooting 48.9% and Hamilton 50%.
It was the third year in a row the Bruins reached the state tournament, being eliminated in the semifinals in 2013 and 2014.
