MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - It "was déjà vu all over again" for nationally-ranked Bradley Central in its attempt to earn a "three-peat" at the TSSAA BlueCross Girls Basketball Championships.
Ranked second by Hoops Review and fourth by Maxpreps, the Bearettes added to their state's winningest total by sending state second-ranked and previously unbeaten Coffee County home with a 53-44 in Thursday's quarterfinal action, at "The Glass House."
It marked the third straight year Bradley (33-1) has been paired against an unbeaten squad in the opening round before advancing to the Final Four Friday against Bearden.
The third-ranked Lady Bulldogs (33-5) blew out Whitehaven (20-9) by a 59-24 tally on Thursday as well.
Bradley and Bearden last met two years ago in the opening round of the state tournament, when a buzzer-beating basket by Arkansas signee Harmonie Ware pulled out the 55-53 win to send then top-ranked Lady Bulldogs and Miss Tennessee Basketball winner Avery Treadwell packing.
Making a record 35th appearance at a TSSAA state tournament, the storied 103-year old Bearette program has won nine TSSAA crowns since 1960, including three of the last half dozen.
Also advancing Thursday, 12th-ranked Cookeville (25-7) knocked off No.
11 Lincoln County 49-37, plus two-time defending state runner-up Bartlett (24-11) upset fourth-ranked Oak Ridge (30-4) by a slim 52-50 margin.
The Lady Cavaliers and Lady Panthers tangled at 8:15 this evening, before the Bearettes and Lady Bulldogs took the Murphy Central hardwood for the late game at 9:45 once again.
The Class 4A state championship game will tip off at 7:30 Saturday evening.
BEARETTES 53, LADY RAIDERS 44: Like they have in almost every game this season, Bradley roared out of the gate to a huge lead -- 20-3 behind a combined 11 points and eight rebounds from Ware and two-time Miss Tennessee Basketball finalist Kimora Fields, who capped the run with a hoop-and-some-harm three-point play with 2:02 left on the opening period clock.
Stunned but not willing to give up, Coffee County went on a 10-1 streak, trailing just 21-9 at the first horn and closing the gap to eight points with the first two baskets of the second quarter.
In their lowest scoring period of the season, Bradley only netted a 3-pointer by Walters State signee Malia Wilcox and Fields' fourth bucket of the night in the frame.
The girls from Manchester were able to pull within 26-20 at the intermission.
"We had a bad quarter in the second," proclaimed veteran Bradley head coach Coach Reuter. "We had a couple of girls on the bench with two fouls and we didn't shoot well (2-for-11), but we still led by six and its was our ball coming out in the second half, plus we had three fouls on (6-foot-5 Lady Raider Channah) Gannon."
After being held to just two points in the opening half, Samford signee Avary Brewer gave the Bearettes a little breathing room with back-to-back long-range bombs to push the difference to double-digits in the opening minute of the third period.
However, Coffee County fought back with a 14-6 streak to pull within four points of the lead, with 1:25 on the the third quarter clock.
Fields powered inside for a pair of buckets of the final 50 ticks of period for a 42-34 edge.
The final eight-minute frame was the tightest of the contest.
After a pair of long-range misses and Lady Raider Natalie Barnes stopped-and-popped a jumper, Coach Reuter had point guard Wilcox hold the ball near midcourt with Coffee County not pressuring the ball.
"We were able to run about 2 1/2 minutes off the clock," related Reuter. "We had some girls who were tired and a couple with four fouls, so if they (Coffee) weren't going to come out and challenge us, there was no reason to press it.
"When they did come out, we got the ball to Tatianna (Stovall) and she was able to drive the left side of the lane for basket to put us up eight."
After Lady Raider Jules Ferrell drilled her third shot from distance and Brewer did the same, Coffee County closed the gap to a half dozen once again on a drive by Olivia Vinson with just over two minutes to go.
Bradley sealed the victory with six straight points on a drive by Brewer, a fastbreak steal and dish from Fields to Ware, before Fields capped her game-high 17-point night with another paint bucket with 65 second remaining, to push the advantage back to a dozen.
The Lady Raiders tacked on the game's final score with a long-range basket to trim the deficit back to single digits before the Bearettes ran out the clock to advance.
Fields hit 8-of-12 shots in the contest, plus cleared eight rebounds, dished out a trio of assists and copped a steal.
Brewer finished with 15 points, going 5-for-6 from the field and 2-of-3 at the foul line, plus grabbed a trio of caroms.
Ware dropped in eight points, claimed seven ricochets, dished out a couple of helps and had a theft.
The 5-foot-4 Wilcox had a pair of long-range bombs in her seven points, plus she battled among the tall trees for a half dozen boards and even tied up Gannon for a key jump ball turnover late in the game.
"She can read a shot and knows where its going to bounce off the rim and is able to get in there to get it," Coach Reuter assessed. "That tie up with Gannon was key for us."
Despite having to sit all of the second quarter due to foul trouble, Stovall went 3-for-5 from the field for six markers, plus grabbed five rebounds, handed out a trio of "dimes," copped two steals and blocked a couple of shots.
Bradley hit 65.4% (17-of-26) from in front of the arc, but just 25% (5-for-20) beyond it, plus was 4-of-7 (57.1%) from the charity stripe.
The Bearettes won the battle of boards 29-18, but lost the turnover tally 12-10. Bradley had 13 assists on 22 made baskets.
The Bearette "D" limited Gannon to just six points, but she did pulled down nine boards, dished three helps and blocked a shot.
Ferrell was the lone Lady Raider in double figures with 13, while Vinson and Barnes netted nine apiece.
Coffee County was limited to just 16-of-41 shots (39%), including 6-for-16 (37.5%) from distance, plus made all six of its foul shots.
GAME SUMMARY
TSSAA BlueCross
Girls Championships
Class 4A
Quarterfinals
Thursday, March 13
at "The Glass House"
Murfreesboro
Bradley Central 21 5 16 11 — 53
Coffee County 9 11 14 10 — 44
BEARETTES (53) — Kimora Fields 17, Avary Brewer 15, Harmonie Ware 8, Malia Wilcox 7, Tatianna Stovaall 6, White, Geren, Osborn, Howard.
LADY RAIDERS (44) - Jules Ferrell 13, Olivia Vinson 9, Natalie Barnes 9, Channah Gannon 6, Ava McIntosh 3, Audri Patton 2, Ella Arnold 2.
3-POINTERS: BC 5 (Brewer 3, Wilcox 2; CC 6 (Ferrell 3, Vinson, Barnes, McIntosh).
FREE THROWS: BC 4-of-7 (57.1%); 6-of-6 (100%).
RECORDS: No. 1 Bradley Central 33-1; Coffee County 35-1.