MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —Winning their third straight TSSAA BlueCross Girls Class 4A State Championships didn't surprise anyone who had watched the Bradley Central Bearettes this season, and there were even those it would be in the fashion it was.
Ranked No. 2 and fourth in a pair of national high school polls, Bradley set a new TSSAA State Championship record by whipping Bartlett for a third straight time in the finals by a 70-28 tally.
The 42-point difference in a state title game surpassed Hume-Fogg defeating Gallatin 55-14 in the 1926 state title game.
It was also only the fifth time a championship game was decided by more than 30 points.
Claiming their third straight “Gold Ball” and fourth in the last seven seasons, raises the storied program’s total to nine TSSAA state titles since 1960 — four under current head coach Jason Reuter and the other five by legendary coach Jim Smiddy. The nine total is second-best in the state, only behind Shelbyville, which has a dozen “Gold Balls.”
Another 35-1 record pushes Bradley mark to 104-3 during the trio consecutive state title runs, which means senior three-year starters Harmonie Ware and Avary Brewer, who were key reserves on the varsity as freshmen posted a career 133-7 mark.
“We’ve played with some great teammates and worked really hard together and Coach Reuter has pushed us to be our best during the unbelievable run,” proclaimed Ware, the 2024 state tournament MVP.
“It’s been a great experience to be a part of on and off the court. God gets the credit for everything we’ve been able to do,” echoed Brewer, who along with two-time Miss Tennessee Basketball finalist and state tournament MVP (2023 and this year) Kimora Fields also won a state middle school title at Lake Forest. “These are my sisters, not just teammates.”
The impressive season also brings Reuter’s coaching mark to 456-45 in 15 seasons at the helm, giving him a program best 91 winning percentage.
While Fields, Ware, Brewer, Malia Wilcox, Aliyah Osborn, Love Howard and Abby White are all three-time state champs, senior Tatianna Stovall earned a rare fourth TSSAA basketball crown, having won a pair of DII titles at The Webb School, before transferring to Bradley in the summer of 2023.
Bradley graduates eight seniors, a half dozen of which have signed collegiate offers — Ware (Arkansas), Stovall (Kennesaw State), Brewer (Samford), Wilcox (Walters State), Osborn (Cleveland State) and Howard (Chattanooga State).
The Bearette starting five — Fields, Ware, Brewer, Stovall and Wilcox — were all named to the TSSAA All State Tournament team.
“We have some great players and we play well together,” proclaimed Fields. “We’ve been playing together for several; years and we know what to expect from each other.”
When questioned about where this is the best Bearette team ever, Coach Reuter responded, “They’ll be some people who’ll argue it, but three state championships, which has never been done here before, says a lot.”
BEARETTES 70, LADY PANTHERS 28: After watching Bartlett upset No. 4 Oak Ridge and 12th-ranked Cookeville, Bradley didn’t want to give them any hope of another surprising win, roaring out of the gate to a 21-4 advantage, including a 16-0 run, at the first horn.
Likewise in the second frame, the Lady Panthers made just two field goals, to go with a trio of free throws, in a 19-7 Bearette run for a 29-point (40-11) halftime edge.
A 21-10 third quarter streak set up a “running clock” 9-7 final frame, which both team’s bench players. It was Bradley’s 22nd “mercy rule” victory over the campaign.
Brewer led the victory with 19 points, including draining 4-6 from long distance and 2-for-3 close in, plus 3-of-4 “freebies.” She also dished off a couple of assists and swiped two steals.
Fields sealed her second state tournament MVP with 14 points, also on 6-of-9 shooting, seven rebounds, a trio of helps and a air of thefts. For the three-game event, she made 25-of-36 shots from the field, plus 8-for-13 foul shots for 58 points, grabbed 28 rebounds, handed out seven “dimes,” and copped five steals.
Making 6-of-10 from the field, plus both of her foul shots, Stovall also helped out with 14 markers, to go with seven boards, four thefts, a pair of blocked shots and help.
Despite only scoring seven points in the tourney opener, Wilcox earned her surprise All-Tournament honors with 18 rebounds, 14 assists and four steals, while directing the potent Bearrete offense.
Geren came off the bench to drain both of her long-range bomb attempts for half dozen points, plus she cleared a trio of ricochets, while White netted a 3-pointer and both her free throws on her way to five markers.
As a team, Bradley made 17-of-32 (53%) in front of the arc and were 7-for16 (43.8%) from beyond it, plus sank 15-of-16 (93.8%) free throws. The Bearettes out rebounded the much taller Lady Panthers 32-21, plus had a dozen thefts in 21 Bartlett turnovers.
Of the 12 Bartlett players to find the bottom of the net, none scored more than four points in the contest.
GAME SUMMARY
TSSAA BlueCross
Girls Class 4A
State Championships
Saturday, March 15
At “The Glass House”
Murfreesboro
Bradley Central 21 19 21 9 — 70
Bartlett 4 7 10 7 — 28
BEARETTES (70) — Avary Brewer 19, Kimora Fields 14, Tatianna Stovall 14, Harmonie Ware 12, Addie Geren 6, Abby White 5, Wilcox, Osborn, Howard, Francis, Stewart, Broome, Schultz, Rymer.
LADY PANTHERS (28) — Laie Willis 4, Kaylin Sheffield 3, Harmonie Brooks 3, Christian Tate 3, Davis, Lewis 2, McAdory 2, Badwell, Cox, Barber, Riley, Woods.
3-POINT GOALS: BC 7 (Brewer 4, Geren 2, White); Bart 1 (Brooks).
FREE THROWS: BC 15-of-16 (93.8%); Bart 13-of-18 (72.2%).
No. 1 Bradley Central 35-1; Bartlett 25-12.