MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - First verse same as the previous two as nationally-ranked Bradley Central will battle Bartlett for the TSSAA BlueCross Championship tonight, at "The Glass House," on the MTSU campus.
After the Lady Panthers (25-11) notched a second straight upset of Cookeville in the opening semifinal game Friday evening, the Bearettes (33-1) found themselves in unfamiliar circumstances in the night cap.
Trailing almost the entire opening half, Bradley, ranked No.
1 in the final state poll, turned a double-digit deficit to third-ranked Bearden into a 66-39 runaway to be able to go for the "three-peat," marking the first time in TSSAA history the same two public school teams will tangle for the state title three years straight.
"It was a little Dr. Jeykll and Hyde but we turned it around," remarked veteran "Papa Bear" Jason Reuter after directing his 500th Bearette game and 455th win (91%).
"We've only trailed at halftime once this season and that didn't go well for us against Montverde, probably the No. 1 team in the country, and were determined that wasn't going to happen again."
Currently ranked second by Hoops Review and fourth by Maxpreps national polls, the Bearettes dropped the Lady Panthers 58-49 for the 2023 crown and 58-43 last spring, plus blasted them 77-39 just before Christmas at Smiddy Arena.
"Bartlett is a very good team with most of their losses (7) coming to out-of-state teams," Reuter related."We saw what they did to (fourth-ranked) Oak Ridge (52-50) and (12th-ranked) Cookeville (55-43) the last two nights and we know they'll come at us with everything they have."
Making their record 35th appearance at a state tournament, Tennessee's winningest high school program is after its ninth "Gold Ball," including three of the last half dozen, in its 103-year history.
BEARETTES 66, LADY BULLDOGS 39: After an exchange of baskets by two-time Miss Tennessee Basketball finalits Natalya Hodge (Bearden) and Kimora Fields (Bradley) to open the contest, the teams evenly split the first 18 points before the Lady Bulldogs began to pull away.
With the final two buckets of the opening period, including a Hodge 3-pointer to beat the buzzer, the girls from Knoxville went on a 14-4 run to have the two-time defening state champs down by double-digits (23-13) at the 3:37 mark of the second period.
Getting the Bearettes attention, they came roaring back like a protective momma bear to run of 16 straight points, including erasing a two-point halftime differential with a trio of steals that led to a pair of buckets and a couple of free throws to spark an 18-2 run to take command.
"Hodge was killing us in the first half with 16 points, even though she was only 6-of-14 at halftime and that's less than 50%," proclaimed Coach Reuter. "She didn't score a field goal in the second half.
"She's a tremendous player, and I don't mean any slight against her, but the best decision we made at halftime was to go ahead and zone press them and try keep the ball out of her hands. She wound up making just 6-of-28 field goals and only 3-for-15 on 3s.
"I think I have the best defensive player in the state sitting right here in TaTianna Stovall and she did a great job on her (Hodge) tonight," praised the Bearette mentor of his 6-foot-1 Kennesaw State signee.
Holding Bearden to just one field goal and five free throws in the third period, Bradley carried a 15-point (45-30) edge into the final eight minutes, where it didn't let up finishing with a 21-9 scoring edge for the 27-point victory.
"There was never a moment of panic in our team and that's what helped usus turn it around and come out hot in the second half," assessed Fields, who led all scorers with 25 points, sinking 11-of-15 from the field, and clearing 13 rebounds for a double-double, plus she copped two steals, dished a "dime" and blocked a shot.
"We weren't playing our game at the start, but we turned it around and started playing our style of ball in the second half."
Stovall added 16 points and cleared eight rebounds, plus swiped a trio of thefts and "swatted" a couple of shots,
"During halftime we were fired up. We weren't backing down and we knew what we had to do and we came out in the third quarter and did that," proclaimed Stovall, who has the rare chance to be a four-time state champion, having won state D-II titles while playing for The Webb School her first two prep seasons.
"It feels good to beat them again," declared Arkansas signee Harmonie Ware, who hit a buzzer-beater to defeat then top-ranked and unbeaten Bearden in the opening round of the 2023 state tournament. "Obviously, this is a different team but its still good to get the win."
The 2024 State Tournament MVP finished with 15 points, three rebounds and two assists.
Although she didn't score, Walters State signee Malia Wilcox once again was the "floor general" with a half dozen assist and a trio of thefts, plus the 5-foot-4 leaper pulled away 10 rebounds from the much-taller Bearden players.
"Malia had another great game and we shared the ball well and we took care of it. That's what we need to do to win," stated Coach Reute,r pointing to his team having 18 assists on 28 made basket, plus turning the ball over just nine times.
Bradley made 61.9% (16-of-42) shots in front of the 19-foot arc, but were just 2-for-17 (11.8%) beyond it and only sank 8-of-14 (57.1%) at the free throw line. The Bearettes had 10 steals in 13 Lady Bulldog turnovers.
The Bearettes also won the backboard battle 44-34, including 17 off the offense galss for 18 second chance points.
Accounting for almost 54% of Bearden's points, Hodge finished with 21 markers, had seven rebounds, a trio of helps and three thefts. Kendall Murphy added a double-double of a dozen points and 10 caroms.
The Lady Bulldogs were held to just 22.6% (12-of-53) from the field, but were able to sink 9-of-12 (75%) free throws.
GAME SUMMARY
TSSAA BlueCross
Girls Championships
Class 4A
Semifinals
Friday, March 14
at "The Glass House"
Murfreesboro
Bradley Central 9 12 24 21 — 66
Bearden 15 8 7 9 — 39
BEARETTES (66) — Kimora Fields 27, Tatianna Stovall 16, Harmonie Ware 15, Avary Brewer 4, Love Howard 2, Wilcox, White, Geren, Osborn, Francis, Schultz.
LADY BULLDOGS (39) - Natalya Hodge 21, Kendall Murohy 12, Rainey 3, Foster 2, Patel 1, McVeigh, Mills, Hunt.
3-POINTERS: BC 2 (Brewer, Ware); B 6 (Hodge 3, Murphy 2, Rainey).
FREE THROWS: BC 8-of-14 (57.1%); B 9-of-12 (75%).
RECORDS: No. 1 Bradley Central 33-1; No. 3 Bearden 33-5.