The Webb-Knoxville Spartans took on the Briarcrest Saints in the TSSAA Division II Class AA state championship at the Hooper Eblen Center on Saturday, March 8, 2025, in Cookeville, Tennessee. The Webb boys won 54-45. (Photo by Danny Parker)
BY JESSE SMITHEY
COOKEVILLE — Owen Lentz aptly played the role of Steph Curry on Saturday night at Tennessee Tech’s Eblen Center.
The Webb School of Knoxville junior put on a fourth-quarter perimeter performance very much akin to the Golden State Warriors star, and Lentz even borrowed Curry’s night-night celebration after his last made 3 in the Division II-AA title game.
Now, Lentz intentionally waited until after the game’s final buzzer sounded before he released that final 3 out of a notion of sportsmanship.
After all, the game had already been decided.
But he made it nonetheless. Then, he turned to the Webb crowd, stared and then executed Curry’s famed gesture.
“It was just instinct,” Lentz said. “Just having fun out there. That’s all that matters.”
And the Spartan faithful ate it up, as the Spartans spilled onto the floor shortly thereafter to celebrate the 54-45 win over 2024 champion Briarcrest.
Webb (34-2) won its second title in program history and first since 2019. Moreover, it followed with a title just hours after the Webb Lady Spartans won a girls state championship.
“It’s an awesome night to be a Spartan,” said Webb boys coach Ricky Norris.
Fred Smith Jr., the top player for Briarcrest (26-5), finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Smith is a 6-foot-8 junior forward.
Junior wing Cam Swearengen earned tournament MVP honors. He scored 11 points Saturday and went 3-for-4 from 3.
Lentz and senior point guard Jaylen Pompey joined Swearengen on the all-tournament team. Lentz finished with 14 points, going 4-for-7 from deep.
Pompey had eight assists. He is the team’s lone senior.
“When it ends, that’s when it hits ya. Unless you’re a part of a team and put the time in, you just don’t get it. It’s a different relationship that you have with players and teammates,” Norris said. “You just go through so much together.
“To be standing and win that last one, it’s a special feeling.”
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Webb held a 30-28 lead at the break, posting a 7-for-15 clip from 3 in that span and only turning the ball over twice.
Sophomore guard Huston Torres entered the week averaging 6.5 points per game in 17 minutes per game. He had just two points in 12 minutes of action in a semifinal win Friday.
But he earned significant on-floor time Saturday thanks to a hot hand.
He had a 3-point play in the first quarter and followed that with a 3 at the first-quarter buzzer.
And his 3 in the first minute of the second quarter gave him nine points and gave Webb a 24-16 lead.
“So happy for him,” Norris said of Torres. “He’s different, right? He came from a situation where he was one of the (main) guys. Now he’s coming off the bench for us. And his attitude has been unbelievable.
“I couldn’t be happier for him, and we needed him (tonight).”
Fellow guard Lentz, who went 2-for-4 from 3 in the first half for Webb, made a trey with 2:37 left in the half for a 30-22 advantage.
But Briarcrest got hot from the perimeter, too, knocking down a pair of 3s in the penultimate minute of the half to trim their deficit to two.
That lead disappeared by the midpoint of the third.
Interior jumpers by Swearengen and Pompey got it back. Webb led 36-32 after three.
Swearengen’s 3 from the right wing at the 5:15 mark in the fourth made Webb’s lead 42-38. And then Alex Leeth’s cut to the basket got a pass from Pompey, and Leeth’s layup pushed the advantage to six with 3:07 to go.
And when Swearengen buried a deep 3 with 2:42 remaining, Webb led by nine.
Lentz delivered the knockout blow a minute later with a corner 3. Spartans led by 12.
He added another for good measure … and then the one that didn’t count.
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS HERE.
TITLE GAME PHOTOS HERE.
TITLE GAME HIGHLIGHTS HERE.