Bearettes End Title Drought As Lombard's Bomb Clips Houston, 46-44

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Boom!

Bradley Central’s Jamaryn Blair, who had a clutch 25-point performance that will go down in Bearettes’ basketball history as one of the best ever, drove the drove left of the lane toward the basket and had multiple Houston defenders shadowing her.

Time is ticking away.

Blair then flipped a short pass to her left.

Hannah Lombard caught the pass chest-high and without hesitation launched a 3-point shot before a defender could get to her.

With the ball out of Lombard's hands, the Murphy Center crowd, which was at a fever-pitch for the first two championship games Saturday, went silent. When the ball tickled the net Lombard became an instant hero. Her game-winning shot will bask in Bradley Central folklore as the most significant Bearette shot in four decades.

However, rather than going full-bore into celebrating a 46-44 victory over Houston for the Bearettes’ first state championship since 1976 -- and relishing the bedlam on the floor -- the outcome was delayed when officials put 1.2 seconds back on the clock.

Senior Kaleigh Hughes defended the inbounds pass – the Lady Mustangs needed to navigate the full length of the floor to get near their own goal – and forced a five-second turnover and the game ended.

Bradley Central 46, Houston 44.

The championship festivities restarted. And it was a wild championship party for sure.

“My mom says I do my best shooting when I don’t think,” said Lombard, a 26 percent 3-point shooter (18 for 67) going into the game. “So, I just shot it. I didn’t know if it was going in.”

But, it did.

Within seconds, Lombard was underneath a pile of players on the arena floor at Middle Tennessee State University.

“I don’t know if I have the words for this,” Walker said. “I was back and all I saw was the shot go in. I saw Jamaryn go over and we jumped on top of Hannah. I still feel like this is a dream right now. Seeing Hannah make that shot in her senior year, I’m so happy for her; I wouldn’t want it any other way. Our seniors are such good role models and they’ve shown us how to act and lead the team.”

In the team’s fifth trip to state in Reuter’s nine seasons, the Bearettes hauled the Gold Ball, symbol of a state championship, back to Cleveland. Decades of state tournament frustration would be all but forgotten by the time the team crossed the Bradley County line.

Ironically, Bradley Central’s last title in 1976 was decided on a 25-foot desperation buzzer-beater by little guard Karen Mills when girls played six-on-six basketball. The Bearettes also won championships in 1962, 1970, 1973 and 1975, all under legendary coach Jim Smiddy. The last two titles ended with remarkable 36-0 records and the Bearettes extended that winning streak to 90 games the following season.

Bradley (34-3) went 24 years without reaching the title game after losing to Shelbyville in 1995.

“You think Jim Smiddy is up above looking down at us and smiling,” said Bradley coach Jason Reuter, who is 267-32 now as the Bearette Boss. “I have dreamed about every week since I’ve been at Bradley. This is about like Tennessee football with Peyton Manning and the year after he left Tee Martin win a national championship. We lost Rhyne Howard, probably the greatest Bradley player ever, last year and these girls come over here and win the championship.

“This team will be remembered as the one that won the 2019 championship and broke the long streak for a proud, proud program that has won more games than any team (boys or girls) in Tennessee high school basketball history. I’m a blessed man.”

The Bearettes started strong and used a 12-point scoring edge in the second period to build a 29-20 halftime lead.

Another poor third quarter plagued the Bearettes.

Blair’s drive through the lane produced a 34-24 Bradley lead, but the Lady Mustangs (31-3) ran off 11 straight points – five by Miss Basketball finalist Jayla Hemingway – to take a one-point lead.

In that Houston spurt, Walker picked up her third and fourth fouls within a 16-second stretch and went to the bench.

Madison Griggs, who scored 13 points, made a field goal to extend the run to 13-0 starting the fourth period. Walker, who was sidelined for the last 1:42 of the third quarter, answered with a 3 to tie the game at 37-all.

Griggs knocked down a 3 and Hemingway made a layup and Bradley was down by five points.

Blair, a sophomore playing the game of her life and being rewarded with the tournament’s most valuable player award, drove the lane and was fouled. She made two free throws. After a Houston turnover, Blair penetrated the Lady Mustangs’ defense for a layup and with 2:10 remaining added two more free throws as the Bearettes grabbed a 43-42 lead.

Lombard was fouled but missed the front end of a one-and-one.

Houston’s ensuing shot was off the mark and went out of bounds.

Bradley called a timeout with 25.4 seconds left.

Two seconds later, the ball went off Walker’s leg out of bounds.

Houston’s Destinee Wells traveled while being pressured by two Bradley defenders near mid-court. Ball back to the Bearettes.

Reuter makes a play call.

“We had a play, a high-screen for Jamaryn Blair off Anna Walker,” he said. “If Walker’s girl doubles Blair, we were going to kick it back to Walker for a 3. When Jamaryn turned the corner, they were so afraid that she was going to score again they left Hannah open on the opposite wing.   

“I would guess Hannah has made 25 or 30 (actually a little lower) 3s on the year, but she didn’t flinch and she nailed it.”

It was Lombard’s only 3-point attempt.

Said Blair about the final play as to knowing she would be targeted defensively, “I knew they would probably come down on me if I had the ball in my hands. I trust my teammates, so when they picked me up in the lane, I passed it to Hannah and she executed the shot.”

Reuter said Blair could either go for a layup, get fouled (Bradley would have been in the bonus for two free throws) and go to the line for two free throws or dish the ball to Walker.

“She saw Hannah wide open and threw it to her,” Reuter said. “It was the right decision. She deserved the MVP.”

Blair scored the game-high 25 points of 9-of-18 shooting, made 2 of four 3s and was 5 for 5 at the free-throw line capping a brilliant state tournament.

In three tournament games, Blair scored 56 points on 18-for-38 shooting and she connected on 17 of 20 free throws, including 5 for 5 against the Lady Mustangs, who eliminated Bradley in the 2018 semifinals.

Despite the horn sounding, officials huddled and decided to put the 1.2 seconds back on the clock.

“Everyone was confused a little,” Lombard said. 

Not Reuter.

“We celebrated too soon,” he said. “The coach in me said, ‘Hey, I’m a Kentucky guy at heart and I still think about the Duke-Kentucky game (the famous Christian Laettner shot at the buzzer in the NCAA tournament). I said, “Get your fannies over here (to the huddle) because this thing is not over.”

With a television timeout lasting significantly longer than a non-televised game, Reuter thoroughly discussed the strategy for defending Houston’s inbound pass.

“Do I put a girl on the ball or take her off? I’ve got that Duke-Kentucky game in my head. We’re down one,” he said. “We put Kaleigh Hughes on the ball and she forces a five-second call. What are the odds of that?”

Walker, who played 26 minutes, scored 10 points and had three rebounds and three blocks, giving her 12 for the tournament.

Walker and Lombard joined Blair on the all-tournament team.

Houston mauled the Bearettes on the boards, 38-20. Houston’s Melisa Carter pulled down 14 rebounds and Hemingway had 11, to go along with 16 points.

Scoring Summary

Bradley Central                       11 18 5 12 – 46

Houston                                   14 6 15 9 – 44

Bradley Central (46) – Hughes 3, Roberts, Jamaryn Blair 25, Anna Walker 10, Lombard 3, Williams, Reuter, Mayo 3, Barnes 2.

Houston (44) – Jayla Hemingway 16, Gary, Madison Griggs 13, Wells 7, Carter 6, Davis, Wilson 2.

3-Point Goals – Bradley Central 7 (Blair 2, Walker 2, Hughes 1, Lombard 1, Mayo 1), Houston 4 (Griggs 3, Hemingway 1).

All-Tournament Team

Oak Ridge -- Jada Guinn, Khamari Mitchell-Steen

Riverdale – Aislynn Hayes, Alasia Hayes

Houston – Melisa Carter, Jayla Hemingway, Madison Griggs

Bradley Central – MVP Jamaryn Blair, Anna Walker, Hannah Lombard

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