Bradley's Season Over After Loss To Hillsboro

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – It was do or die day here at the Division I state basketball finals being played at MTSU’s Murphy Center.

It was the day for semifinal games in all four classifications, the winners advancing to Saturday’s championship finals and the losers calling it a season.

Chattanooga-area teams did well in quarterfinal play with three of the four teams advancing to Friday’s semis. They weren’t as fortunate the second time around as defending Class A champ Chattanooga Prep was the only team to advance.

The Tyner Rams were ousted by unbeaten Loretto in Class AA while the Bradley Bears got sent packing in 4-A by the Hillsboro Burros.

The Burros will now face Oak Ridge, coached by former Cleveland leader Aaron Green, after the Wildcats eliminated Whitehaven by a 59-53 final in Friday's final game.

The Bears got off to a miserable start by making only three of 10 field goals in the opening quarter while the Burros were equally as hot by sinking seven of 10. Bradley battled back for all they were worth and made it a three-point game at intermission. The Bears even had the lead twice early in the third quarter, but couldn’t sustain that momentum as they eventually fell by a 63-48 final.

Hillsboro advances to Saturday’s final with a record of 33-5 while Bradley’s outstanding season ends at 25-9. It’s been a while since the Bears played at the Bluecross State Championships, the last time in 2007 where they lost to Maryville in the quarterfinals.

And while this season was really good for many reasons with district and region championships, the last main event just didn’t finish like they had wanted.

“Those guys can hurt you as they are long and athletic,” a subdued Bradley coach Zach Carpenter said in his post-game media comments.

“We had a terrible start where we didn’t shoot very well and were behind by double figures in the first quarter, but we didn’t fold and just kept battling. I was proud of the way we came back and even had the lead early in the second half, but their guys stepped up and made some big shots.

“Obviously my guys are sad that it’s over, but we have absolutely nothing to hang our head about. It’s been an unbelievable run. Tonight was their guys night as he didn’t miss, but that’s just what shooters do,” Carpenter added.

The shooter he was referring to was senior Xavier Washington, who made all five of his field goals – all were from long range – and he also made five of six free throws to lead the winners with 20 points.

Hillsboro coach Rodney Thweatt was just happy to see his team win another game and advance to the biggest game of the season.

“We worked really hard to get here and tonight it paid off. I’m sure some of those early morning workouts weren’t much fun, but this just makes it all worthwhile,” he began.

“We were just trying to win another basketball game. I thought we were in control of the game the whole time, but we just had to get refocused when Bradley made their comeback. The scoreboard can stress players, but I always tell them if they do what they’re capable of doing, the score will take care of itself.

“But I’m really proud of the way we played tonight and I’m looking forward to us playing our best basketball tomorrow,” he added.

Washington got the Burros off and running with his first 3 to start the game. Tyrese Stovall, who led the Bears with 20 points, scored on a short jumper in the lane in the first minute to get Bradley within a point at 3-2 before Hillsboro scored 15 of the next 18 points.

Stovall scored again in the final minute to cut the lead to 18-7 when the first quarter ended.

Cortez Graham-Howard sank the first of two free throws with 4:43 left in the half to put Hillsboro up 21-9 before the Bears rallied with 10 unanswered points, highlighted by 3s from Hunter Fields and Andrew Walker.

Tyren Fisher scored on a layup with 1:41 left to put the Burros up 24-20 before a charity toss from Ramerian Taylor 30 seconds later trimmed the difference to three points at intermission.

The Bears grabbed the lead for the first time by scoring the first four points of the third quarter on buckets by Taylor and Stovall to make it 25-24. Stovall scored again with 6:15 in the third for a 27-26 Bradley lead, but the Burros got five straight points from Washington and never trailed again.

Bradley got with two points twice late in the third, but back-to-back 3s from Washington extended the Hillsboro lead to 43-33. Stovall scored at the end of the period to make it 43-35 with one quarter remaining.

The Bears got within eight points on a bucket by Stovall in the first minute of the fourth period, but Graham-Howard scored four straight for a 49-37 lead with just under six minutes to play and it never got much closer.

The Burros made seven of eight free throws in the final two minutes to extend the lead to 63-45 before Caiden Bauldwin converted a three-point play at the end for the final 15-point margin.

While Washington was tops with his 20 points, Graham-Howard and Fisher were also in double figures with 16 and 13 points, respectively.

Taylor was Bradley’s only other player in double digits as he finished with 13.

With Stovall grabbing eight, Bradley did win the rebound battle by a 28-25 margin. Fisher topped the Burros with eight.

Hillsboro finished the game by making 21 of 34 field goals for 61.8 percent, including six of 14 from long range for 42.9 percent. They also sank 15 of 21 free throws for 71.4 percent.

Bradley made 20 of 54 field goals for 37 percent and two of nine from long range for 22.2 percent. Free throw shooting was equally as bad as they made just six of 13 for 46.2 percent.

HILLSBORO	18	6	19	20	-- 63
BRADLEY CENTRAL	7	14	14	13	--48

HILLSBORO (63) – Heard 3, Tyren Fisher 13, Xavier Washington 20, Cortez Graham-Howard 16, Burtner 5, Foxx, Hull, Davis, Holland 6, Harris, Cawthon.

BRADLEY (48) – Bauldwin 5, Ramerian Taylor 13, Fields 3, Tyrese Stovall 20, Walker 7, Goldston, Ary, Cannon, Butts, Cassada.

3-POINT GOALS: Hillsboro 6 (Washington 5, Graham-Howard); Bradley 2 (Fields, Walker).

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)