High school basketball coaches often talk about playing your best basketball at the end of the season. There is little doubt the Upperman Lady Bees are playing their best basketball.
Led by a stifling defense, a Miss Basketball finalist and emerging stars, UHS head coach Dana McWilliams is preparing for her fifth state tournament in seven seasons.
The Lady Bees faced roster turnover entering the season, replacing three starters from the 2020-2021 team. Early in the year they relied on their defense to win games. Recently, the offense has produced at a high rate including 66 points against East Hamilton.
“We’ve thought that our offense would start getting a little bit better as the season went on,” said McWilliams after her team’s substate win. “For the most part, it has. We’ve had our ups-and-downs, but this group stays pretty steady and calm.”
The Lady Bees are led by Miss Basketball finalist and UTC signee Brooklyn Crouch. As the senior point guard, Crouch runs the floor, but Jayla Cobb and Abigail Johnson form a three-headed monster in Baxter.
Alongside the stars, role players Emma Conradi, Gracie Hamilton, Bella Mullins and Korra Bass have provided a boost on both ends of the floor.
“Those kids play a lot of basketball,” said McWilliams. “I’m confident in them and they’ve got confidence as well.”
The Lady Bees (29-5), have not allowed more than 49 points in a game, they have not lost a game by more than five points and they enter the state tournament on a 14-game winning streak.
While it has been another successful season, it was not without adversity. A three-game losing streak in the middle of January forced the Lady Bees into the fourth spot in District 7/AAA. McWilliams said they focused on one game at a time since the losing streak. They have since won the district and region tournaments and their substate game.
The Lady Bees will open the state tournament on Wednesday at the Murphy Center at 10 a.m. vs Elizabethton (25-6).