Coverage of the state tournament is presented by Legacy Athletics
MURFREESBORO – The Upperman Lady Bees earned a trip to the TSSAA Class AAA Girls’ State Tournament Championship Game with a 45-44 win over Creek Wood on Friday at the Murphy Center.
The Lady Bees were led by a balanced attack and sifiling defense as they clinched their third trip to the state title game in six years.
“(Creek Wood) is a really good team,” said UHS head coach Dana McWilliams. “That game was tough. Congratulations to Creek Wood on a great season. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”
The Lady Bees opened the game with an inside basket by junior forward Abigail Johnson. UHS then rattled off a 10-2 run to end the frame and take a 12-4 lead into the second.
CWHS star Brianna Burgess made three triples and a jumper in the second quarter, but UHS got baskets by Abigail Johnson, Brooklyn Crouch, Emma Conradi and Jayla Cobb in the frame as they expanded the lead to 26-15 at halftime.
The Lady Red Hawks opened the second half on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 26-21, but the Lady Bees responded with three straight layups by Johnson to regain a double-digit lead. Johnson was called for an intentional foul with one second remaining in the third quarter, and the Lady Red Hawks left the possession with four points to make it 34-28 after three.
Burgess and Laura Nichols each made threes in the span of six seconds in the final minute to cut the UHS lead to 44-41. Cobb made 1-2 free throws with six seconds remaining to put the game out of reach. A last second three by Burgess made it 45-44 as the Lady Bees celebrated their trip to the state title game.
The Lady Red Hawks used several defensive looks throughout the game. McWilliams said her team’s experience against different defensive philosophies this season helped prepare them for the matchup.
“We knew they would probably mix up some things,” said McWilliams. “We’ve seen, pretty much, everything. These kids are very resilient. They hang in there. Whatever is thrown at them, they handle it well. I’m proud of them.”
Johnson led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds. Crouch tallied 13 points. Conradi tallied six points, five rebounds and two blocks.
McWilliams said she has been proud of Conradi all season.
“It’s special for me, for Emma,” said McWilliams. “It’s her first year to really get on the floor for us. She has gone above and beyond anything I could have imagined Emma was going to bring. As a coach, you’re always proud of kids, but when you see a kid like Emma who is so coachable… and now she’s going to play for a state championship. That means a lot as a coach.”
The Lady Bees will face off against Jackson South Side (24-2) in the state championship game on Saturday at the Murphy Center.
“We know they’re very well coached,” said McWilliams. “They’re very athletic. We’re expecting nothing but a dog fight out there for us.”
Tipoff in the championship game is set for 1:30 p.m.
Photos by Rusty Ellis:
