By Lee Davis
From just looking at the final statistics, the Mountain Brook boys’ basketball team had no business winning the Class 6A championship game against Blount on Friday night. Let us count the ways:
The Spartans, who make their living through fundamentals and execution, connected on only 13 free throws in 24 attempts.
The Mountain Brook team that always seemed to make the big shot when it’s most needed struggled from beyond the three-point arc–connecting at a below-par 24 percent clip.
The Spartan inside game, which repeatedly pulled down key rebounds in the semifinal against Carver of Montgomery, was outrebounded by the Leopards by 19 boards.
But somehow, someway–again–Mountain Brook found a way to get it done. In a title game that lived up to its billing, the Spartans closed fast to narrowly defeat the Leopards 60-57 and earn their second consecutive state championship before a large, vocal and neon yellow-tinged crowd at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.
And appropriately enough, the verdict was sealed after senior point guard Patrick Keim, a virtual coach on the floor for the Spartans, nailed two pressure-packed free throws with 5.9 seconds remaining.
Mountain Brook earned its second consecutive state championship despite trailing 32-28 at halftime and 42-41 after the third quarter–but in the final frame the Spartans did what they had to do to come out ahead.
“It all goes back to our saying–we find a way,” said Spartan coach Bucky McMillan. “This is what Mountain Brook basketball is all about. We find a way to get it done. There is a lot of heart in our players.”
The Spartans’ heart showed over and over, when it appeared early that the Leopards were a worthy opponent, fully capable of stopping Mountain Brook’s bid for a second consecutive title. McMillan’s team trailed 32-31 at halftime and 42-41 at the end of the third quarter before climbing to the summit in the final eight minutes.
If winning another Class 6A championship wasn’t enough, the victory also gave Mountain Brook its 23rd consecutive win and a final worksheet of 34-3.
“For us to go all the way and win it this year is the biggest accomplishment in Class 6A basketball since I’ve been alive,” said McMillan, who at age 30 may well have his best years as a coach still ahead of him. “First and maybe most importantly, the character of these players is off the charts.”
And the Spartans never showed more character than when they trailed 51-46 with only 2:46 remaining in the game. Mountain Brook picked up consecutive baskets from Jack Kline and TaWarren Grant to cut the margin to 51-50 with 1:55 to play. The Spartans got a break soon afterward when Blount stalwarts Demetrius Caldwell and Reginald Harbin both fouled out.
Grant tied the game at 51-51 by connecting on a free throw. On Mountain Brook’s next possession, Keim bagged a three-point shot–his only long-range attempt of the game–to give his team a 54-51 lead, an advantage it would never surrender.
“We worked so hard to get here,” Keim said. “There was no way I was going to let our team down. When I got the ball and had the open shot, I wasn’t afraid to take it because I knew these guys were behind me all the way.”
The Spartans were in command 58-54 before Blount made one last run at pulling the upset. Divine Miles sank two free throws for the Leopards to cut the lead to 58-56 with only 13.2 seconds remaining on the clock. Blount stole a Mountain Brook in-bounds pass to set up another scoring opportunity, and Tranealius Abrams’ free throw cut the margin to 58-57 with 8.6 seconds left.
The Spartans missed a pair of free throws but got the ball back after the second shot rebound went off a Leopard player. Keim calmly bagged two free throws to put Mountain Brook in the record books.
Grant, a junior who was named Final Four MVP, scored 22 points. Keim followed with nine. Senior center Alex Peters scored eight points and just as importantly vexed Blount’s offensive effort with seven blocked shots.
“I think the luckiest people here are the fans,” McMillan said. “What a great basketball game. Before the game, we said this would be basketball war. My hat is off to Blount. They played hard and brought their A-plus game.”
McMillan was being gracious to his vanquished opponent and at the same time giving a compliment to his own players. With its problems with shooting and rebounding, Mountain Brook clearly didn’t have its A-game against Blount–and still found a way to win.
Winning state championships has become a rite of passage for Grant, who led Midfield to the state Class 5A championship his freshman season before transferring to Mountain Brook. He has been a part of three state championships in three years and hinted he wasn’t satisfied just yet.
“We just do what we do,” said Grant. “Wait till next year.”
If Grant gets his way, the Spartans may need an even more appropriate color to replace their now-iconic neon yellow. In basketball, it is called Celtic Green.
