Coverage of the TSSAA State Tournament is presented by Legacy Athletics
MURFREESBORO – The Upperman Lady Bees advanced to the semifinal round of the TSSAA Class AAA Girls’ Basketball State Tournament with a 59-42 win over Elizabethton on Wednesday at the Murphy Center.
The Lady Bees continued their strong play as they rolled to another double-digit victory.
“I’m really proud of them,” said UHS head coach Dana McWilliams. “It was a great team effort again. Defensively, we were pretty strong tonight.”
The Lady Cyclones opened the game with a three-pointer, but Upperman immediately responded with a 10-0 run to take a 10-3 lead. Abigail Johnson scored eight points in the frame and Miss Basketball finalist Brooklyn Crouch ended the quarter with a layup as UHS led 20-12.
The Lady Bees took control of the game in the second quarter, opening the frame on a 9-0 run to stretch it to 29-12. The UHS defense, which has been stout all season, held EHS to five points in the second as the Lady Bees took a 31-17 lead into halftime.
The teams then traded buckets throughout the third quarter, and a run early in the fourth by EHS was stopped after a timeout by McWilliams as the Lady Bees cruised to the double-digit win.
The Lady Bees shot 50% from the field, while holding the Lady Cyclones to 37.5%.
“We try to not take bad shots,” said McWilliams. “They’re very confident in each other… so that helps you create good shots.”
Johnson scored 24 points on 10-14 shooting. She added seven rebounds.
“That’s something (Johnson) does every game,” said McWilliams. “One good thing about this team is they aren’t one dimensional. We saw Abigail had a good opportunity inside today. She’s got great kids around her to get her the ball in the right spots and then she’s just tough.”
Crouch tallied 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Jayla Cobb scored 12 points with six rebounds and five assists.
Bella Mullins came in off the bench, making a three and having a +19-point differential.
“Bella has just been getting better and better as the year goes on,” said McWilliams. “Her and Gracie Hamilton have shared that spot and they have a good fit. They bring a little bit of different things to our table.”
The Lady Bees will take on Creek Wood in the semifinal round of the tournament. Tipoff is set for 11:30 a.m. Friday at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro.
Photos by Rusty Ellis:
