Howard-Led Bearettes Maul Blackman, 63-34, For Berth In 3A State Tournament

Bradley Overcomes Early Shooting Woes; Lady Canes Lose To Riverdale 78-38

  • Saturday, March 3, 2018
  • Larry Fleming
Bradley Central's Kaleigh Hughes gets around a defender.
Bradley Central's Kaleigh Hughes gets around a defender.
photo by Greg Davick

CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Stung by a sectional loss in 2017 that blew up a 32-0 record, Bradley Central’s Bearettes were not about to slip up against visiting Blackman in this season’s sectional showdown.

Before a raucous crowd at Jim Smiddy Arena, Bradley Central senior Rhyne Howard scored a game-high 27 points to become the school’s No. 3 all-time scorer, the second-ranked Bearettes used a 19-8 run to erase any doubt about the outcome and blitzed the Blaze, 63-34 to nail down a berth in the Class 3A girls’ state tournament next week at Middle Tennessee State University.

“It’s great,” said Bradley junior Kaleigh Hughes, who went scoreless but grabbed four rebounds and had two assists in a solid floor game.

“We’re blessed because a lot of teams are going home tonight and some teams have been home for some time. This is not something we take for granted. We worked hard for this every day and we’re excited.

Unfortunately, one of those teams headed home was fellow District 5-3A member East Hamilton, which took it on the chin at No. 1 Riverdale by 78-38. Riverdale is 33-1 and the Lady Hurricanes finished 26-7 – the 26 victories set a school record.

The state tournament draw will be held Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. (CT) at the Doubletree Hotel in Murfreesboro. The Bearettes (32-0) will play on Wednesday, but the time and opponent will be decided on Sunday.

The Bearettes are now 112-10 at home under coach Jason Reuter, who has won four sectionals in his eight seasons.

“We have unfinished business,” Reuter said. “A lot of teams go over there and treat it as a vacation, but it’s not that. We’re going over there with a chance to win a state championship.

“We’re in the final eight of the state and everybody is chasing Riverdale, including us. If we get a good draw and stay healthy we’ve got a shot. We could go over there and lay an egg, but I think we proved tonight we deserve a No. 2 ranking.

"Last year's sectional game has been a craw in my gut ever since. You lose friends and loved ones, so basketball is not that big a deal, but I woke up a lot of mornings this season thinking about last. I didn't sleep at lot some nights thinking about that game for several months."”

That No. 2 ranking didn’t look so good in the first half.

In the first 16 minutes, Bradley made just 9 of 33 shots, including an anemic 1 for 14 from 3-point distance and still had a 24-12 lead at the break. Howard had already jumped two spots up the scoring list with 11 points. Going into the game Howard needed nine to slide into the No. 3 slot.

And, in the push-the-score run to start the third quarter, the Bearettes made five 3s, two by Howard and extended the lead to 43-20.

A Kentucky signee, Howard now has 2,474 career points and leap-frogged No. 4 Jody Adams (2,450) and No. 3 Zandra Ownby (2,455) into the third-place slot. Howard is the No. 1 all-time scorer in five-on-five era for the Bearettes.

Only two players remain ahead of Howard, No. 1 Data Caldwell (3,011) and No. 2 Liz Hannah (2,693), but the 6-foot-1 point guard, a finalist for the Miss Basketball award for the second straight year, has won 135 games with at least one more to play and that’s No. 1 in that category. Bradley’s record with Howard is 135-11.

“That means all the work I’ve put in over the last three years is falling into place,” said Howard, who was playing her final game in Jim Smiddy Arena. “Tonight’s victory was heartwarming and means a lot. We had our fans here and they had our backs and we’re going to carry this momentum on to the state tournament.”

With a game-high 15 rebounds, Howard registered her 11th double-double of the season.

The Bearettes, who have won 64 of their last 65 games, wound up shooting 37 percent (20 for 54) and 25.9 percent (7 of 27) 3-point distance. Bradley out-rebounded Blackman 35-32 and their defense forced 23 turnovers, resulting in 21 points. The bench outscored the Blaze 23-4.

Sparking that reserve unit was freshman guard Jamaryn Blair, a big weapon for Bradley in the postseason. She finished with 12 points, three assists and three turnovers in 25 minutes.

The Blaze (18-15) were led in scoring by Jaida Bond and Nia VanZant with 13 and 11 points, respectively.

Howard made two free throws and converted a three-point play to surpass Adams, who left Bradley in 1989 and went to have an illustrious career at Tennessee. She then catapulted Ownby, a 1970 graduate, with a layup with 3:30 left in the second quarter.

“Rhyne was just too big a matchup for any of the Blackman girls,” Reuter said, “and when she got the ball near the bucket it was like a grown woman playing against kids, and that’s no offense to Blackman. She’s just that good.”

In the pivotal third period, Anna Walker and Cambree Mayo got things started with 3-pointers and Howard hit a layup, but missed the ensuing free throw. Blackman scored twice and Howard connected on a 3 from the left wing and Anna Roberts drilled a 3 from the other side.

The Blaze’s Alex Booker made a layup and Roberts duplicated that at the other end. VanZant dropped a layup and Howard rammed home a 3 to cap the 19-8 run. Bradley’s lead was 43-20.

“What a defensive effort tonight,” Reuter said. “The only low point is that we left too many points on the floor in the first half. We were up by 12 points and it should have been 20 or 22. What a problem to have.”

Nothing, however, could bring down the celebratory mood of the Bearettes, who are 3-1 against Blackman, with three of the games being sectionals at home, and their faithful following. And right among the mass of humanity that spilled onto the court, was Blair, who held her own even when the play was physical.

“It’s an amazing feeling and we’re super-excited about the opportunity to win at state,” she said. “Physical play doesn’t bother me. I play AAU ball with a bunch of physical girls and it’s nothing new for me. You just have to play through it.”

Riverdale 78, East Hamilton 38: The Lady Hurricanes and Lady Warriors were tied at 12 in the first quarter, but Riverdale scored 37 of the next 42 points and raced to a 49-17 halftime lead.

“We were battling them,” East Hamilton coach Hunter Gremore said. “But they’re too good. They were so fast and we haven’t played a team that can get up and down the court as fast as they can. Even in the half-court, their quickness and movements are outstanding. And they’ll defend you like crazy.”

Gremore has seen Bradley and Riverdale up close and personal. The Lady Canes finished second in the girls’ District 5-3A standings and lost to the Bearettes in the Region 3-3A title game, the fourth loss this season to Reuter’s squad.

“If they play in the state tournament, Rhyne Howard will be the best player on the floor,” Gremore said. “But Riverdale has five or six players that can really go.

Riverdale placed four in double figures, led by Brinnae Alexander’s 15 points. Aislynn Hayes and Alexis Whittington each had 14 points and Alazia Hayes added 13.

Madison Hayes pace East Hamilton, which was one of four schools with girls’ and boys’ teams still alive in the sectional round, with 16 points. Eliziah Laboo added 14 points.

“We had a great season,” Gremore said. “There were 16 teams left tonight and I think we could have beaten a lot of them. In our last two games, we had to face the two of the best teams in the state. Houston and Arlington both won and got to state. We beat Houston in the East-West Classic and could have given a run at or beaten a few other teams that will be in Murfreesboro.

“Madison played pretty well tonight and Laboo showed a lot of fight inside and rebounded well for us.”

Boxscore

Blackman                              3 9 10 12 – 34

Bradley Central                   14 10 23 16 – 63

Blackman (34) – Goff 2, Jaida Bond 23, Nia VanZant 11, Page, Booker 4, Carruthers, Patton, Alexander, Moore 4.

Bradley Central (63) – Hughes, Mayo 6, Rhyne Howard 27, Walker 7, Lombard, Williams 2, Roberts 5, Reuter, Jamaryn Blair 12, Barnes 1, Carman 1, Hullender 2, Muhonen.

3-Point Goals – Blackman 4 (Bond 3, VanZant 1), Bradley Central 7 (Mayo 2, Howard 2, Walker 1, Roberts 1, Blair 1.

East Hamilton                       12 5 18 3 -- 38          

Riverdale                               18 31 20 9 -- 78

East Hamilton (38) – Lacy 3, D. Zeh, Suttles 5, Medley, Ma. Hayes 16, Mc. Hayes, C. Zeh, Petitt, Evans, Abernathy, Eliziah Laboo 14.

Riverdale (78) – Hosford, Alasia Hayes 3, Goff, Aislynn Hayes 14, Ar. Whittington 5, Edgeston, Moore 3, Holcomb, Al. Whittington 14, Brianne Alexander 15, Allison Mayeaux 10, Henegar, Puckett, Worley 2.

3-Point Goals – East Hamilton 1 (Ma. Hayes 1), Riverdale 7 (Al. Whittington 2, Mayeaux 2, Al. Hayes 1, An. Whittington 1, Moore 1).

(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)

 

 

 

 

 

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