Whitehaven basketball coach Fred Horton has been in the game long enough to know there’s no need for a coach to create unnecessary drama. Good players will find a way.

Horton certainly has good players and they did find a way Monday.

Chip Brunt scored 24 points and responded well in overtime after missing a pair of free throws that could have won the game in regulation as Whitehaven outlasted Overton, 90-81, in the semifinals of the District 16-AAAA championship. The victory sends Whitehaven into Wednesday’s 7:30 p.m. title game against East.

Brunt, a senior, was fouled with 4.8 seconds left and the score tied at 75. He missed both and Overton rushed the ball upcourt to Jordan Frison, who got a solid look on a corner 3-pointer but couldn’t connect.

Whitehaven took control of the game in overtime with a 7-0 run as Brunt hit two free throws, Marcus Harris drained a long 3 and Kristian Spencer dunked after the Wolverines coughed it up in the backcourt.

It wasn’t necessarily how Horton drew it up, but he and his team will take it as they look to return to the Class AAAA state tournament after making the field in 2020 before COVID-19 canceled the event.

“I just let (Brunt) work through it,” Horton said. “He’s a good ballplayer and good ballplayers will figure it out. Then we’ll talk about it later. I thought we controlled the tempo and forced them to play defense on us (in overtime). We had them in the one-and-one (so) we attacked the basket and I thought that was the game-changer for us.”

Spencer, who punctuated the victory with another dunk at the buzzer, added 19 points while standout freshman Julius “King” Thedford added 15.

The victory sets up a third meeting with East and the Tigers shouldn’t be lacking for motivation. They’ve only lost two games all season long and both of those were against the Mustangs, by four points on Jan. 4 and by nine points on Jan. 27.

Horton likes his chances this time around.

“I’m not going to change my gameplan.” he said. “They’ve got to stop us. In the first couple of outings, we didn’t have a good game and the games were close. But I think if we come in with all cylinders cooking, that will make a difference.”

Senior guard Jaden Taylor led the Wolverines with 24 points while big man Isaiah Regular added 21.

Like Horton, Central girls coach Rashad Haynes didn’t say much when his team found itself in a big first-quarter hole against East. Haynes’ squad, which features nine freshmen, two sophomores and just one senior, trailed the Mustangs 20-3 in the early going. But Central had tied it up by halftime and then pulled away late to advance to the championship game with a 60-51 victory.

“They’re trying to feel each other out as young players,” said Haynes. “They always look to me as a coach to tell them what to do but I want them to be the players that they’re capable of being. They settled in, settled down and just did the things that we’ve been practicing.

“When we dug that hole for ourselves, we did. So we were going to have to be the ones to dig out. We had to work extra hard to get back in it but once we tied it up at halftime, it was a whole new ball game.”

Three players scored in double figures for Central, led by Jerrilyn Richardson’s 16. Akira Simpson added 11 and Ma’hajah Turner added 10 as the Warriors outscored the Mustangs, 57-31, after falling behind by 17. Kai Bolton led East with 13 points while Tristan Spearman had 11.

Central’s opponent in the 6 p.m. championship game on Wednesday will be tournament host and top-seeded White Station, which shook off a little rust after a nine-day layoff and defeated Whitehaven, 46-30. Sihirah Reese scored 21 to lead the Spartans, who are 20-2 overall and winners of their last 13.

Jeurnei Wright made five 3-pointers and scored 25 for the Tigers, who will play East in the consolation game Tuesday at 6 p.m. Overton and White Station will then play in the boys consolation at 7:30 p.m.

In other games

District 15-AAAA: Collierville teams won both consolation games against arch-rival Houston.

Kristyna Boyd scored 16 points and freshman Paige Whitted added 12 as the Dragons won the girls game, 57-33. Collierville will now visit the loser of Wednesday’s Central-White Station District 16-AAAA championship game in the first round of the Region 8 tournament later this week. Anna Lee Avery had 18 for Houston, which will play the Central-White Station winner.

In the boys game, Phil Dotson scored 15 and Alex Vandenbergh chipped with 10 as the Dragons held on, 52-49. Collierville will open region play on the road against the loser of Wednesday’s 16-AAAA final between East and Whitehaven while Houston will visit the winner.

In Tuesday’s title games, tournament host Arlington will take on Bartlett girls at 6 p.m., followed by Germantown and Bartlett boys at 7:30 p.m.

District 15-AAA: Mauryah Jones and Sydnei Marshall each scored 16 points as Fayette-Ware won the tournament championship, downing Millington for the third time this season, 63-31. Rachel Griffin, who was named both the tournament and regular-season Most Outstanding Player in the league, added 12. Micaiah Halliburton had a game-high 17 for the Trojans, who are hosting the tournament.

The same two schools meet Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the boys championship game. Bolton and Raleigh-Egypt will meet in the third-place game at 6 p.m.

Monday’s box scores

Boys

District 16-AAAA

East 72, White Station 45

White Station (45)-Kyler Dandridge 11, Cedric Franklin 7, Marcus Crawford 7, Porter Kelly 2, Collin Boyd 3, Kody Hickerson 7, Erin Hardrick 3, Aaron Ford 5

East (72)-E.J. Smith 13, Jamarion Harvey 15, Markese Washington 6, Alijah Curry 17, Zach Hayslett 2, T. McVay 2, Kenji Lewis 7, Barack Beard 2, Billy Richmond 2, Mason Hanback 4, L. Bell 2

Record: East 21-4

Whitehaven 90, Overton 81 (OT)

Overton (81)-Jaden Taylor 24, Jherrone Jones 10, Jordan Frison 4, Isaiah Regular 21, T.J. Freeman 6, Jailen Hardaway 16

Whitehaven (90)-William Carver 6, Ladricus Pittman 11, Kristian Spencer 19, Julius Thedford 15, Chip Brunt 24, Marcus Harris 9, Javion Stephen 6

Girls

District 16-AAAA

Central 60, East 51

Central (60)-Jamyra Frazier 11, Akira Simpson 9, Ma’hajah Turner 10, Aliyah Tyler 2, Jerrilyn Richardson 16, Tayla Hamer 7

East (51)-Jazmin Brandon 9, Lauren Willis 8, Casey Teague 2, Jocelyn Lyons 2, Tya Bostick 7, Tristan Spearman 11, Kai Bolton 13, Takiya Wilborn 1

White Station 46, Whitehaven 30

Whitehaven (30)-Christal Little 3, Christin Cooper 1, Jeurnei Wright 25, A’kilah Mensah 1

White Station (46)-Mallory Taylor 7, Ramya King 7, Demi Gentry 7, Haeli Bradshaw 4, Sihirah Reese 21

Record: White Station 20-2

District 15-AAAA

Collierville 57, Houston 33

Houston (33)-Sheyla Rodgers 9, Anna Lee Avery 18, Ellett Smith 2, Eden Vanatta 2, Avalon Vanatta 2

Collierville (57)-Nakiyah Westbrook 3, Sariah Conley 4, Paige Whitted 12, Hilary Shikuku 6, Marissa Henderson 4, Kristyna Boyd 16, Mannie Amaeufula 3, Carlyn Burdette 5, Madison Lovelace 2, Jordan Harris 2

Record: Collierville 20-8

District 15-AAA

Fayette-Ware 63, Millington 31

Millington (31)-Micaiah Halliburton 17, Keria McGhee 5, Kayla Dotson 4, Ayanna Ransom 3, Madison Turner 2

Fayette-Ware (63)-Mauryah Jones 16, Sydnei Marshall 16, Rachel Griffin 12, Chrishunti Walker 7, Tyneequa Gilchrease 6, Tamerah Thompson 6