The Clay County Lady Bulldogs advanced to the semifinal round of the 2021 TSSAA BlueCross Basketball Class A Tournament with a 59-38 win over Peabody on Wednesday at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro.
The Lady Bulldogs raced out to an early lead and never looked back, while receiving a boost from big performances by Katie Arms and Briley Burchett to extend their season and get within two wins of a state championship.
“I felt like our team didn’t have many jitters today,” said CCHS head coach Matt Walker. “You get here and it’s all about enjoying the moment.”
The Lady Bulldogs, who are making their first appearance in the tournament since 2012, used a quick start from the field to race out to an 18-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Burchett scored four straight to give the Lady Bulldogs a 22-11 lead. The Lady Golden Tide prevented the lead from growing, but Arms made a layup with 18 seconds remaining in the frame to give CCHS a 30-17 lead at halftime.
“It’s always great to play with a lead,” said Walker about his team’s fast start. “That’s the game plan every game. Credit to the girls that made shots early.”
“It definitely builds your confidence,” said Arms. “Once you’re shooting good your momentum gets up and your teammates start going. Being on the other end of that, it’s really hard to come back against a team that’s shooting good.”
CCHS extended their lead to 35-19 midway through the third quarter. After a basket by Peabody, Arms and Burchett combined for three free throws to extend their lead to 38-21.
The Lady Tide scored three straight to open the final frame, but Arms buried a three to give her team a 41-25 lead.
Arms and Burchett then scored eight straight CCHS points as the Lady Bulldogs pulled away to secure the 21-point win.
Arms led the way with 27 points and nine rebounds. Burchett added 24 points and nine rebounds.
“Once we start getting the ball inside early they start helping on Briley which opens the shots outside,” said Arms. “Same for me, if I start shooting it good outside they’re going to come out and not guard her.”
Defensively, CCHS held Peabody to 23% shooting from the field, and just 15% from three-point range. They also forced 15 turnovers.
The Lady Bulldogs will take on the winner of Cloudland vs Loretto on Friday at 10 a.m. in the semifinal round of the tournament.
Photos by Noah McKay:
