One major weapon for Bradley Central’s undefeated girls’ basketball team this season, and there are several, has been the consistency of the Bearettes’ bench in overpowering opposing teams’ reserve play.
It showed up again Saturday in the Bearettes’ 54-48 victory over Oak Ridge in the Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic at Hal Henard Gym in Greeneville, Tennessee.
While Rhyne Howard led all scorers with 21 points, Bradley had three players come off the bench to outscore the Lady Wildcats subs, 17-4. Jamaryn Blair scored 10 points, Alexis Barnes had five and Cambree Mayo added two. That group also combined for three rebounds.
Howard pushed her career point total to 2,037 and to within 120 points of Traci Dixon’s 2,157 in 10th place on the school’s all-time list.
Oak Ridge used only two reserves and Brianna Dunbar and Raja Eckles each scored two points and grabbed seven rebounds, helping the Lady Wildcats to a 32-18 rebounding edge.
Mykia Dowdell led Oak Ridge (10-4) with 16 points and six rebounds while Jada Guinn had 11 points and seven boards. Desiree Bates contributed nine points and six rebounds.
The victory nailed down Bradley’s second straight championship in the 29th classic and Oak Ridge was the victim in both. The Bearettes are now 16-0 and have won 48 of their last 49 games.
Howard, Anna Walker and Kaleigh Hughes were selected to the all-tournament team.
Bradley Central returns to action on Jan. 5, hosting county rival Cleveland at Jim Smiddy Arena at 6 p.m.
Oak Ridge battled the Bearettes hard the entire game. Bradley had a 30-28 halftime lead and the Lady Wildcats were still within striking distance at 43-40 heading into the fourth period.
Howard, who added nine steals and five assists to her stat line, scored the game’s first seven points and had nine of the first 15 as the Bearettes built a 15-4 lead.
In the second period, Desiree Bates picked Hughes’ pocket and drove for a layup that pulled the Lady Wildcats to within 20-19. Bradley scored eight of the next 10 points and opened a 28-21 lead. Blair started the quick run with two straight 3-pointers and Walker added a layup.
With less than a minute left in the first half, Bates made two free throws to tie the game at 28-all. Bates’ layup – off a Howard assist – with seven seconds left provided the Bearettes with their 30-28 margin at the break.
A three-point play by Dowdell tied the game at 36-36 and Oak Ridge took its only lead of the contest at 37-36 on an Eckles free throw.
Oak Ridge took its only lead in the game at 37-36 on Eckles’ free throw, but Howard’s layup less than a minute later enabled the Bearettes to regain the lead at 38-37. Another Eckles free throw knotted the score late in the third. Howard hit a 3 and Hughes’ jumper helped Bradley take a 43-40 advantage into the final quarter.
Blair’s two free throws and Walker’s layup, coming on a Howard assist, put Bradley’s lead at 47-42. When Mayo dropped in two free tosses, the Bearettes had a 51-46 lead with 1:30 remaining.
Howard knocked down two free throws and a charity toss by Hughes with 10 seconds showing capped the Bearettes’ scoring.
The back-to-back wins over Oak Ridge in the Ladies Classic come after the Lady Wildcats beat Bradley, 38-31, in the 2016 Class 3A state semifinals.
The Bearettes shot 38.8 percent from the field while the Lady Wildcats finished at 43.2 percent. A big edge for Bradley came from 3-point distance where it was 6 for 18. Also, Bradley forced 22 turnovers, eight by Guinn, and had a 26-13 scoring edge in that department.
Boxscore
Oak Ridge 11 17 12 8 – 48
Bradley Central 15 15 13 11 – 54
Oak Ridge (48) – Bates 9, Copeland 1, Jada Guinn 11, Golden 8, Mykia Dowdell 16, Dunbar 2, Eckles 2.
Bradley Central (54) – Hughes 6, Roberts 2, Rhyne Howard 21, Walker 8, Lombard, Mayo 2, Jamaryn Blair 10, Barnes 5.
3-Point Goals – Oak Ridge 2 (Bates 1, Guinn 1), Bradley Central 6 (Howard 3, Blair 2, Hughes 1).
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)