RUTLEDGE – Greeneville’s Lady Devils took the floor at Grainger High School on Monday night with something to prove. After suffering their only conference loss of the season — a 75-49 defeat to Cherokee on Feb. 10 — Greeneville responded with a fast start, dominant rebounding, and suffocating defense to claim its fourth District 2-3A championship in five years (and 10th overall) with a 75-56 win over the Lady Chiefs.
An emotional Coach Watts reflected on the accomplishment. “I couldn’t have told you how many we’ve won,” she said. “Because the one you’re winning now is the most special. It’s the one that means the most. All of them are different because every team is different, and it’s so fun with this group. They just roll when they roll.”
Tournament MVP Maria Lyde led the charge with a dominant double-double, pouring in 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Julia Woolsey added 20 points and seven rebounds, while Brylee Tullock filled the stat sheet with 19 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and six steals. Woolsey and Tullock were both named to the All-Tournament Team.
Cherokee also placed three players in double figures, led by Rylee Sivert with 18 points, while Kenady Deal and Addie Lawson added 15 each.
The game opened with both teams struggling to find rhythm offensively. Tullock gave Greeneville a 2-0 lead with a short jumper a minute and a half into the contest. Deal answered 30 seconds later with a three-pointer to give Cherokee a 3-2 edge.
Lyde tied the game at 3-3 with a free throw before Woolsey converted an old-fashioned three-point play to put Greeneville ahead 6-3 with 5:16 remaining in the first quarter.
From there, the Lady Devils seized control. Greeneville closed the quarter on a 14-4 run to take a commanding 20-7 lead. Woolsey sparked the surge with seven first-quarter points, while Lyde added six and Tullock chipped in four.
Watts emphasized the importance of that early momentum. “We saw what they did to us at their place, and we knew we had to come out fast,” she said. “We wanted layups and mid-range jumpers first, then work our way to the three. Our brains are attached to seeing that ball go through the hoop and playing defense. You’ve got to make shots first — then the defense comes.”
Greeneville continued to press the advantage in the second quarter. Matea Gray, also an All-Tournament selection, opened the scoring with a free throw, and Woolsey followed with a floater to extend the lead to 23-7. Deal ended a nearly three-minute drought for Cherokee with a basket at the 6:35 mark, trimming the deficit to 23-9.
The Lady Devils’ relentless defense fueled a transition run that pushed the lead to 32-11, forcing Cherokee to call timeout with 4:15 left in the half. The Lady Chiefs regrouped and closed the half on an 11-5 run but still trailed 37-22 at the break.
Both teams scored 16 points in the third quarter, with Greeneville shooting 6-of-15 from the field and Cherokee 6-of-13. Woolsey and Addison Hayes led Greeneville with six points apiece in the period, while Lawson paced Cherokee with seven.
Cherokee mounted one final push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to 60-50 with 4:35 remaining. However, Deal fouled out with 3:57 to play, and Greeneville calmly knocked down eight straight free throws down the stretch to seal the championship victory.
With the win, Greeneville will host David Crockett in the opening round of the Region 1-3A Tournament on Friday night. Cherokee will host Tennessee High, Grainger travels to Elizabethton, and Volunteer faces Daniel Boone. All games are scheduled for 7 PM tipoffs, with winners advancing to Monday’s semifinal round at Grainger.
Greeneville: (75) 20-17-16-22: Lyde 24, Woolsey 20, Tullock 19, Hayes 9, Gray 3
Cherokee: (56) 7-15-16-18: Sivert 18, Deal 15, Lawson 15, Nelson 4, Pearson 2
All-Tournament Team: Elizabeth Byington (Volunteer), Kenady Deal (Cherokee), Matea Gray (Greeneville), Adison Hayes (Grainger), Rylee Sivert (Cherokee), Chloe Pearson (Cherokee), McKinley Mills (Grainger), Brylee Tullock (Greeneville), Julia Woolsey (Greeneville)
MVP: Maria Lyde (Greeneville
2025-26 All Conference Awards
Player of the Year – Maria Lyde (Greeneville)
Defensive Player of the Year – Brookelyn Roach (Grainger)
Underclassman of the Year – Kenady Deal & Rylee Sivert (Cherokee)
Coach of the Year – Jason Lawson (Cherokee)
Additional All-Conference Members
Cherokee – Addie Lawson
Grainger – Briley Caldwell, Addison Hayes, McKinley Mills
Greeneville – Matea Gray, Brylee Tullock, Julia Woolsey
Volunteer – Elizabeth Byington, Emilee Mailloux
