Greeneville competed early and battled late but could not overcome a decisive second-quarter surge by Sevier County. The Bearettes outscored the Lady Devils 14–4 in the second quarter and held on for a 52–46 victory.
“It was not pretty,” Lady Devil head coach Annette Watts said. “We turned the ball over too much and gave up too many rebounds. When you do that against good teams, it’s not going to turn out well.” Greeneville committed 26 turnovers and allowed Sevier County to collect 26 rebounds.
Both teams struggled to find their rhythm early. Sevier County scored the game’s first basket at the 5:50 mark, but Matea Gray answered moments later with a layup. The Bearettes then went on a 7–0 run, forcing Greeneville to call a timeout at 4:29 while trailing 9–2.
Coming out of the timeout, Maria Lyde scored to cut the deficit to 9–4, and Gray knocked down a three-pointer to close the quarter with Sevier County leading 14–11.
The second quarter proved to be the difference. Greeneville shot just 1-for-4 from the field, while Sevier County went 5-for-12 and extended its lead to 28–15 at halftime. Aubree Thompson scored five of her game-high 18 points in the quarter, while Maddie Hawkins added five.
Greeneville responded after the break, outscoring Sevier County 17–12 in the third quarter to pull within eight at 40–32. Jordan Swatzell fueled the rally, hitting three three-pointers for nine of her game-high 17 points. Laliyah Burden led the Bearettes in the quarter with eight points.
The fourth quarter delivered plenty of drama. Swatzell and Lyde combined for 14 points as Greeneville trimmed the deficit and put itself in position to potentially steal the win at Hal Henard Gymnasium.
With Sevier County leading 48–44, the Bearettes attempted to slow the pace and limit possessions. With 1:01 remaining, Lyde knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a two-point game. Eight seconds later, Greeneville forced a held ball, setting up a chance to tie or take the lead. Lyde finished the night with 16, joining Swatzell as the only two Lady Devils to finish with double digits.
Brylee Tullock took the inbounds pass, beat her defender, and scored what appeared to be the tying basket. However, the shot was waved off due to an offensive foul, and Sevier County converted at the free-throw line to seal the win.
Greeneville, now 5–4 on the season, will travel to Westridge next Tuesday for a non-conference matchup with the Wolves.
