As people around the world waited for the ball to drop and usher in the New Year, fans packed Hal Henard Gymnasium to see which team—Bearden or Upperman—would be crowned champion of the 2025 Andrew Johnson Bank Ladies Classic. Bearden was looking to improve on its second-place finish from 2014, while Upperman aimed to finally break through after two third place finishes in 2019 and 2021.
Behind a strong second-half shooting performance and a swarming defensive effort, the Lady Bees erased an early deficit and pulled away for a 59–50 come-from-behind victory, securing their first Ladies Classic championship.
Upperman head coach Dana McWilliams praised her team’s achievement while emphasizing the bigger picture. “We joke all the time that when I come here, I’ve never been in the championship game—but I always come back and will always come back,” McWilliams said. “The competition all week long is incredible, and it’s something that’s good for our program and prepares us for what’s ahead.”
Bearden’s Emma Rainey and Katie Foster set the tone early, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 4–0 lead before Taylor Dolente scored on a layup at the 5:46 mark to cut the deficit in half. Rainey added four more points in the opening quarter, Natalya Hodge chipped in five, and Bearden shot an efficient 58 percent from the field. Despite that success, the Bulldogs held just a 16–14 lead after one quarter.
Upperman’s Gracie Butler tied the game at 16–16 with a layup 41 seconds into the second quarter and then gave the Lady Bees their first lead with another layup at the 6:38 mark. The advantage was short-lived, however, as Rainey answered 18 seconds later, and Hodge drained a three-pointer to put Bearden back in front.
Bearden pushed its lead to 29–23 before TT Carson knocked down a jumper at the buzzer, trimming the margin to 29–25 at halftime.
The Bulldogs opened the third quarter with a jumper from Hodge and a three-pointer from Riley Hunt to extend the lead to 34–28 with 5:17 remaining. From there, Upperman seized control. The Lady Bees shot 83 percent in the quarter and went on a decisive 14–0 run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Sadie South that gave Upperman a lead it would never relinquish. “We talked and made a few adjustments at halftime,” McWilliams explained. “We knew we weren’t just going to come out and beat Bearden—they were going to battle us the entire time. We focused on having a really good third quarter, and fortunately we made some shots and big plays.”
Trailing 42–34 early in the fourth quarter, Bearden made one final push, cutting the deficit to 45–41 with 5:21 remaining. That would be as close as the Bulldogs would get. Leading scorer Natalya Hodge, who finished with 18 points, fouled out with 3:20 left, and Upperman closed the door with an 11–0 run capped at the 2:59 mark.
South, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, led all scorers with 20 points and reflected on the experience. “I felt like we played well as a team and lifted each other up,” South said. “This will definitely help us moving forward.”
Dolente, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Offensive Player, added 14 points and credited her teammates for the honor. “It feels good to be recognized,” Dolente said, “but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my teammates lifting me up, finding me on the court, and being where they needed to be.”
Joining South on the All-Tournament Team were Defensive MVP Sophi Hutchison of Spring Valley, who set a tournament record with 29 steals, along with Bearden’s Natalya Hodge and Emma Rainey. Farmington sophomore Easton McCullogh also set a tournament record, scoring 143 total points.
The remainder of the All-Tournament Team included Aaliyah Story and Andrea Flores (Daniel Boone), Abby Roberts (Grace Christian), Janiaya Mitchell (Morristown West), Brylee Tullock (Greeneville), Lano Smallwood (Albertville), Shiyah Harris (Gaffney), Meeyah Green (Webb), and Karmine Carmichael (Cocke County).
