By Michael Lindsay
Girls
#2 Lady Bees Cruise To 46-29 Victory Over #3 Cumberland County To Clinch Championship Berth
The #2-seeded Upperman Lady Bees (24-6) took care of business Saturday afternoon in Crossville as they defeated #3 seed Cumberland County (16-13) 46-29 in the District 7-3A tournament semifinals.
“I’m really proud of the girls tonight,” said Upperman head coach Dana McWilliams. “I thought we were really aggressive on both ends of the court. It was a really good team effort.”
Upperman was balanced offensively as Sadie South led with 14 points followed by Taylor Dolente with 12 and Gracie Butler with 11. Sydney Wilhite led Cumberland County with 16.
Upperman took control early as a South three-pointer with 3 minutes remaining in the first quarter gave the Lady Bees a 10-2 advantage.
“I think the week off was good for us,” said McWilliams. “We got a chance to get back in the gym and fix some things that weren’t going well for us.”
Baxter extended their lead to double digits (15-5) early in the second quarter before trading baskets to lead 16-9 midway through the second quarter. Upperman locked in from there as they closed the frame on an 18-0 run over the final 4:30 to take a 34-9 lead at halftime.
“We were really balanced,” said McWilliams. “Tonight we really clicked on the offensive end. On the defensive end is where you win these games, though. That was maybe one of the better defensive games we’ve played.”
Upperman kept control in the second half as they held a 42-20 lead entering the fourth quarter, where they cruised to a 46-29 victory.
Up next for Upperman is a rematch with White County in the District 7-3A championship game Monday at Cumberland County High School. The Warriorettes swept two regular-season matchups with the Lady Bees.
“White County is the #1 team in the state and we’ve met many times,” said McWilliams. “We’re glad to be back in the championship game.”
#1 Warriorettes Continue Undefeated District Run, Take Down #4 Livingston In Semifinals 49-31
The White County Warriorettes (27-3) opened postseason play in the win column Saturday night as they defeated Livingston Academy (18-11) in the District 7-3A tournament semifinals, 49-31.
“Defensively, we played really well,” said White County head coach Michael Dodgen. “We were able to limit some of their secondary players from having big games. Ellie Butler’s going to do what she typically does, but you can’t allow somebody else to complement what she does.”
Gracie Clark led the Warriorettes with a double-double as she posted 16 points and 12 rebounds. Ava Jones posted 8 points and 10 rebounds while Lakelyn Grasty scored 10 points in the win. Ellie Butler led Livingston with 17 points.
“Gracie did a really good job tonight,” said Dodgen. “Kyra Fox battled her tail off in the first half and competed really hard. Kennedy Billings and Kylie Norvell did a great job off the bench in that stretch in the third and fourth quarter. It was a big moment for them and they handled it the right way.”
After finishing the first quarter tied at 8, White County doubled up the Lady Wildcats in the second quarter as they outscored Livingston 20-9 in the frame. Grasty capped off the first half with a four-point-play from the left corner to give Livingston a 28-17 lead at halftime.
White County’s defense stayed locked in during the third quarter as they pushed their lead to 39-23 entering the fourth quarter. The Warriorettes held Livingston to only 6 points in the fourth as they went on to win by a 49-31 final score.
Up next for the Warriorettes is Monday’s District 7-3A championship game against Upperman at 7:30 p.m. White County swept the two regular-season matchups with the Lady Bees.
“Every time you get an opportunity to win a championship, you want to do that,” said Dodgen. “We want to compete at the highest level. It’s going to be another really good battle and both teams are going to play as hard as they can play. I respect what Dana’s done for a long time, and there’s a lot of mutual respect there. It should be a really exciting game and a great atmosphere.”
Boys
Stone Memorial Takes Down DeKalb County In District Semis Behind 28 Points From Cade Capps
The #2-seeded Stone Memorial Panthers (22-8) clinched a berth in the District 7-3A championship game Saturday evening as a 28-point performance from Mr. Basketball finalist Cade Capps fueled the Panthers to a 57-47 victory over #6 DeKalb County (10-20).
“It was our first game in eight days, and beating a team three times in a year is tough,” said Stone Memorial head coach Neil Capps. “We knew DeKalb was going to come out ready to fight. I’m really excited for our guys; for a lot of them this is their first real postseason experience.”
Jack Cordell tacked on 19 points for Stone Memorial while Dallas Kirby led DeKalb County with 20 points.
DeKalb County held an early 5-4 lead over Stone Memorial before the Panthers settled in and took a 13-7 lead via a Hunter Haney buzzer-beater to end the first.
The Panthers extended their lead to double digits in the second quarter as a pair of Jack Cordell free throws extended Stone’s lead to 26-16 at halftime.
DeKalb County battled back within one possession in the third quarter as a Jon Hendrix putback with 2:55 left in the frame cut Stone Memorial’s lead to 34-32. The Panthers held on to lead 38-36 entering the fourth quarter.
“We knew it was going to be a dog fight,” said coach Capps. “Everything this time of year is difficult, and that’s what makes the postseason so fun and exciting.”
The Tigers cut even closer in the fourth as they narrowed their deficit to one point (42-41) via a pair of Hendrix free throws with 4:30 left.
Stone Memorial never surrendered their lead, though, as the Panthers outscored DeKalb County 11-1 over the next 3 minutes to take a 53-42 lead with 1:06 remaining. Cade Capps scored 9 of the 11 points during the run while assisting on the other basket to Cordell.
“We had to stay the course and finally get some stops,” said coach Capps. “We took their punch and did our jobs and made plays.”
DeKalb County pulled back within 6 points with 30 seconds left, but got no closer as Stone Memorial held on to win by a 57-47 margin.
Up next for the Panthers is the District 7-3A championship on Tuesday at 7:30 against the #1-seeded Upperman Bees, who swept the regular-season series against Stone Memorial.
“We’re excited,” said coach Capps. “It’s hard to even get the opportunity to win a championship, and once you get there it’s even harder to win it. It’s a tall task, but our guys are looking forward to the opportunity.”
#1 Seed Upperman Advances To District 7-3A Championship Via 71-47 Victory Over Livingston Academy
The #1-seeded Upperman Bees (24-2) have advanced to the District 7-3A boys championship for the third consecutive season following a 71-47 victory over #4 Livingston Academy (16-13) Saturday evening in the semifinal round held at Cumberland County High School.
“Our energy was good,” said Upperman head coach Bobby McWilliams. “Mentally, we were locked in and ready. We’ve been off and haven’t played, but we were ready and I’m proud of them for being ready to go.”
Upperman was led by sophomore Mr. Basketball finalist Ty Cobb, who posted 25 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals in the win followed by 12 points and 7 boards from Bronzden Chaffin and 10 points by Landon Hall. Tucker Miller led Livingston with 18 points followed by 13 by Rocco Carwile.
“Colton Johnson and Evan Huddleston were really good,” said McWilliams. “Collier Bush played well defensively. Those guys that don’t always get the credit played really well. Them playing at a high level is what makes us different right now.”
The Bees held a 14-11 lead after the first quarter before outscoring Livingston 22-4 in the second quarter to take a 36-15 lead at halftime.
“Livingston has some highly-skilled guards and they do a great job in their matchup zone,” said McWilliams. “We tried to stay connected to their guys on defense. I felt like our offensive movement was really good, especially in the first half.”
Upperman maintained their double-digit lead through three quarters as they held a 54-29 lead entering the fourth quarter, where they closed out to win by a 71-47 final score.
Up next for the Bees is the District 7-3A championship on Tuesday at 7:30 against the #2-seeded Stone Memorial Panthers. Upperman swept the season series against the Panthers.
“Stone is good and Neil does a great job,” said McWilliams. “They present a problem with their size and their ability to shoot it. On top of that, you have one of the state’s leading scorers and you have to deal with that. It should be a great game.”
