RUTLEDGE – The Greeneville girls basketball team extended its season on Monday night in the Region 1-3A Tournament semifinals by taking down Elizabethton 67-44.
“I thought from watching film we matched up well with them, and I didn’t think they matched up with us great. We felt like we could do this,” Greeneville coach Annette Watts said. “We stopped the things that they are good at, and our kids really bought into the game plan. Once we turned them over a few times and got some fast breaks we got happy.”
With Monday’s win the Lady Greene Devils have guaranteed themselves at least two more games. First, they will take on Daniel Boone on Wednesday in the region championship game, but the win also secures a berth in Saturday’s state sectionals.
“I think were a little tight early. But it was huge to shake that off and know that you have two more games. I love that we get to keep playing, and I want to play longer than Saturday,” Watts said.
With their seasons on the line both teams started Monday’s action a little tight, and by the midway point of the first quarter the Lady Devils clung to a 4-2 lead.
Greeneville got going with its transition game, quickly flipping the court after rebounds and turnovers before scoring on breakaway layups.
It started with Brylee Tullock sending a long pass ahead to Maria Lyde. Lyde then went coast to coast herself. A steal by Jordan Swatzell made its way to Tullock at the other end of the floor, and then a steal by Tullock set up Woolsey to push Greeneville’s advantage to 16-5.
“It was huge to be able to run on them. No matter how hard Maria tried it’s hard to box (Jamira Smalls) out. She’s a good sized child and we needed to be able to get up and down the court.”
The quarter ended with Elizabethton’s Rylee May hitting a three-pointer to close the gap to 16-8.
The three ball kept the Lady Cyclones in the game early, and when Adrian Heading knocked one down with 4:55 left in the first half Greeneville’s lead was down to 20-14.
Elizabethton would not get any closer.
Woolsey and Lyde each scored on offensive rebounds and Greeneville took a 26-16 lead after Tullock stole the ball at midcourt before walking the tight rope on the left boundary. She sent the ball ahead to Matea Gray who softly laid it off the glass.
Tullock finished the first half by scoring through contact and earning three points the hard way for a 31-19 lead.
In the early portion of the third quarter shooting fouls that had eluded Greeneville in the first half began to be enforced and the Lady Devils went 5-of-6 at the free-throw line to push the advantage to 38-21 with 6:10 on the clock.
Shortly after Lyde was called for her third foul and things could have turned against the Lady Devils with their top post defender on the bench. Elizabethton’s towering center, Jamira Smalls, did score two quick baskets, but then Emma Shelton and Paisley Christian held her in check for the rest of the frame.
On the other end of the floor Woolsey scored five points and Christian knocked down a three-pointer as Greeneville took a 48-27 lead going into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Cyclones never challenged the lead in the fourth quarter. They did put together a 6-0 run that Addison Bunn capped with a lay in.
Greeneville got seven points from Lyde in the period and four from Woolsey as it moved on with a 67-44 win while improving to 23-9 on the year
Greeneville spread the ball around and put three players in double figures on Monday. Woolsey led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds. Lyde had 17 points, seven rebounds, six steals and four blocks. Tullock had 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Greeneville has had four different leading scorers in the last four games.
The task will be tougher going forward for Greeneville as it meets Daniel Boone on Wednesday. The Lady Trailblazers are ranked No.2 in Class 3A in the state, and in their semifinal contest on Monday beat Cherokee 80-54. Daniel Boone will be led by Mississippi State signee Andrea Flores, and Chattanooga signee Aliyah Story.
“We can’t let Flores stand out there and shoot the three. You know Story can do her thing, but they don’t have a player that you can help off of. Defensively we have to be on, and offensively we have to make them run,” Watts said.
