How despite a loss, Independence found joy in three-year TSSAA basketball state tournament run
MURFREESBORO ― Tylan Lewis couldn't help but replay the missed baskets in his head in the moments after Independence's TSSAA boys basketball state tournament Class 4A quarterfinal loss against Whitehaven.
Alongside senior teammate Dawsyn Miller, they traded decisive moments from the game that could've extended their Independence's careers one more day. Independence ended the game 10-of-20 from the free throw line.
The defending state champions battled back-and-forth with the No. 1-ranked Tigers, ultimately falling, 40-36 as Whitehaven advances to play Oak Ridge in the Class 4A state semifinals at 8:45 p.m. on Friday.
No team had previously held Whitehaven under 50 points this season, while 4A Mr. Basketball winner Taquez Butler was held to a game-high 13 points.
"We held them to 40, you take that a lot of times, we came up just short on the offensive end ..." Independence coach Mark Wilkins said. "We had a hard time getting by them at times and I think you saw that some. They're here for a reason, they're a very good team. A good defensive team too, you saw that tonight, but our guys kept battling to the end."
It was a new identity for Independence this season, shifting from the high-powered offense that Jett Montgomery led last season to a staunch defense, which gave fits to the typically potent offenses of district opponents such as Brentwood and Franklin during the regular season.
The embodiment of that identity this season was Lewis, who not only led the Eagles in scoring, but also often took on the toughest defensive assignment. That was the case on Thursday as Lewis ran the offense while acting as the primary defender on Whitehaven's Mr. Basketball winner.
"It starts with Tylan (Lewis) ... he's going to the next level to be that aggressive defender. He's the best defender I've ever seen in high school, let alone this year. Taquez Butler had 13 points, he's an unbelievable player, but some of those even came when we got mixed up on matchups. I would love to know how many points he had on Tylan strictly."
The Eagles' senior class, led by Lewis and Miller, is the first class to have spent their entire career under the tutelage of Wilkins, who was hired following the 2020-21 season. Together they helped push the Eagles to three straight state tournament appearances, bringing home the Eagles' first state championship last year.
"It's been a great journey," Lewis said. "It's been a fun one for sure. It's also been a tough one. Just graduating a lot of guys last year, we had a lot of talent, so I'm super proud of this group and the way we performed."
Harrison Campbell covers high school sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at hcampbell@gannett.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA basketball state tournament 2025: Independence falls to Whitehaven
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