Bradley Central outscored visiting McMinn County 23-6 starting the game and cruised to a 56-31 victory Tuesday night in District 5-3A high school basketball action at Jim Smiddy Arena.
With the win that opened Bradley’s district schedule, the Bearettes improved to 6-0 and 1-0 on the young season.
Senior Rhyne Howard led Bradley Central with 18 points and 10 rebound, barely missing a triple-double with seven rebounds.
Howard went 9 for 18 from the field, 0 for 6 behind the 3-point arc and recorded three of the Bearettes’ nine steals.
Junior Kaleigh Hughes scored 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting, including one of the Bearettes’ three 3-pointers.
The Bearettes out-rebounded the Lady Cherokees 39-23 forced 20 turnovers to their own 12 and scored 20 points off those miscues. Bradley also had a 19-2 edge in second-chance points and 30-12 in the paint.
Bradley shot 36.4 percent (20 of 55) for the game and McMinn County was held to 28.1 percent (9 of 32).
Kaylen Hicks led the Lady Cherokees (41-1-1) scoring with seven points. Three players – Kaitlynn Hennessee, Whitney Green and Paige Manney – each had six points.
Boxscore
McMinn County 3 10 10 8 -- 31
Bradley Central 13 13 14 16 – 56
McMinn County (31) – Liner, Hennessee 6, Green 6, Hick 7, Gleaton 3, Burns 1, Manney 6, Schiestel, Baxter 2.
Bradley Central (56) – Kaleigh Hughes 11, Roberts 6, Rhyne Howard 18, Walker 7, Lombard 2, Williams, Reuter, Mayo 3, Blair 4, Barnes 5, Hullender.
3-Point Goals – McMinn County 2 (Hennessee 1, Hicks 1), Bradley Central 3 (Hughes 1, Mayo, Blair 1)
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twittter @larryfleming44)