When Trevor Berkely made a winning 3-point basket with five seconds left in Tucker's final game of a tournament in Baton Rouge, La., over the holidays, it typified the Tigers' tenacity all season.
The 45-44 victory against Louisiana's Northside, just like previous heart-stopping wins over local opponents Marist (43-42) and Central Gwinnett (47-42), showed how serious the Tigers are about reaching the state playoffs for a sixth time in the last seven seasons.
"I still don't think we've really hit our stride in playing well," Tigers coach James Hartry said. "Hard play and being (fundamentally) sound has been key. We haven't played like anything special, we've just gotten after teams and have continued to play hard."
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Though consecutive losses to Rockdale County and defending AAAA champion Miller Grove ruined Tucker's 10-game win streak, the Tigers expect to regain their footing Tuesday at Douglass and Friday at Lithonia.
"We've come together more as a team every game," said junior Daniel Woodard, a reserve point guard. "We've been picking each other up. When we've been doing bad, we've been talking to each other the right way."
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Key to any notion the Region 6-AAAA Tigers have of duplicating their state championships of 1996 and 2007 is well-rounded play, now that Malcolm Hamilton, Darrian Mathis and Tyler Brunson have regained academic eligibility since the holiday break. Hamilton and Brunson have averaged 10 points per game as starters, while Mathis has averaged six as the first player off the bench. When added to Miles Harris' average of 14 and Berkely's and Joey Coursault's 10 and seven apiece, the Tigers feel they now have a winning combination.
Hartry said Hamilton contributes an all-around athleticism, Brunson key height at 6-foot-8, and Mathis high energy. Together, the team is far more well rounded.
"Now we spread the ball around a lot more now," the coach said. "There's no secret we're a much better team with (Hamilton, Mathis and Brunson), without a doubt."
The Tigers (10-2) lifted weights and practiced Saturday for the first time in a week, having been kept off the court by bad weather. The team hoped to play Parkview in Monday's MLK Hardwood Classic at Centennial, but that was canceled by weather as well. That'll make Tuesday's 7:30 p.m. game at Douglass the Tigers' first in 11 days.
"It's been challenging. The ice and snow had us locked in the house," Berkely said. "I had some dumbells and lifted them now and again, but it's not as good as a weight workout with the team."
Berkely said the Tigers are looking forward to hosting Mays on Jan. 25, their first true home in several seasons. Tucker has hosted teams at Tucker Middle while its gym was being rebuilt.
"We've got to come in focused and play how we know we can," Berkely said of that highly awaited first game at home. "I think the crowd will be pretty intense. It should be packed."
