MT. JULIET — In their five-year history, Green Hill’s girls have already won a district tournament championship and reached the state semifinals.
Now, they’re one game from clinching their first No. 1 seed in a district tournament after overcoming a gritty Mt. Juliet team 52-51 Tuesday night on the Lady Bears’ floor.
The Lady Bears, with just one district loss (at Green Hill) coming into the game, led 40-33 early in the fourth quarter at the end of a 15-2 run. But Green Hill recovered to reel off seven straight to pull even at 40-40.
The Lady Hawks took their final lead for good on two free throws by Willa Heilman for a 47-46 edge with 51 seconds to play.
Freshman post K.T. Tolbert was the star of the game as the Lady Hawk hit for 28 points, hitting 10 of 15 free throws, including two with 3.6 seconds left to seal the win as Green Hill climbed to 16-8 for the season and 6-0 in District 12-4A.
“Our girls did not give up,” Green Hill’s first-year coach Cody King said. “(Mt. Juliet’s) a dang good team. They’ve improved a lot. We got them by double digits the last time. We weren’t expecting that this time. We got caught up in playing their game. They’re more athletic, can get up and down a little bit better than we can and we went away from what got us the win the last time. We woke up a little bit in the fourth quarter and played some good defense and got some steals and hit some free throws down the stretch and things went our way.”
As for Tolbert?
“We said in the locker room ‘you picked a good game to have your best game’ ‘cause she was something else,” King said. “She was tough to deal with. We don’t even have to run stuff for her. It’s her in transition. It’s her getting offensive rebounds. It’s her creating. She’s a special talent for sure.”
But the other end of Green Hill’s class ladder played a big role as well.
“They got strong senior leaders over there,” Mt. Juliet coach Jeremy Hawks said of the Lady Hawks. “They’ve been playing together a long, long time and they obviously have the superstar stud freshman in K.T. She carried them down the stretch (10 points in the fourth) but the seniors kept them calm when they were down and kept them in the game.
“And we just kind of fell apart there at the end.”
The Lady Hawks could clinch the top seed with a win last night at Beech or a Lady Bear loss at Hendersonville. Beech could also have remained in the race with a win.
Green Hill led 12-10 at the first-quarter break. A layup off an inbounds pass under the basket which resulted in a three-point play with .3 second left in the first half put the Lady Hawks in front 24-23.
The Lady Hawks built a 31-25 lead early in the third quarter before the Lady Bears, enjoying their best season since their most recent state tournament appearance in 2019, went on their run, going in front 38-33 going into the fourth.
Heilman had nine points while Sullie Gerik scored six, McKinlie Stone four, Alyssa Potier three and Julia Varpness two for Green Hill.
Aaliyah Holman hit three 3-pointers as she led the Lady Bears with 19 points while Addy Osborne added 11, McClaine Ringenberg eight, Makayla Hopson seven and Claire Emery six.
Mt. Juliet will host Oakland in a non-district makeup game at 6 p.m. Monday before its district open date Tuesday. The Lady Bears, who will host the district tournament, will wrap up their district schedule next Friday at home against Beech. The Lady Hawks will host Gallatin at 6 p.m. Tuesday to wrap up their league schedule before closing their regular season next Friday at Oakland.
Devilettes drill Smyrna by 52Lebanon routed visiting Smyrna 67-15 Tuesday night at Campbell Brandon Gym/Hester Gibbs Court.
The Devilettes led 28-9 at the first-quarter break before pitching a second-period shutout for a 46-9 halftime bulge. Smyrna scored just six points in the second half as the Lady Bulldogs shot 11.1% from the floor for the game.
There was plenty of scoring wealth to go around for Lebanon with Maggie Kelley leading the way with 11 points while Tramaria Neal notched 10. Tiara Spencer and Ellie Beth McDonald each scored eight points and Samia Payne six as each hit a pair of 3-pointers. Ro Dowell dropped in seven while Naleiya Withrow-Walker supplied six and Keeli Davis, Caroline Coffee and Ashaunna Rowe two apiece.
Kelley and Neal each secured six rebounds while Withrow-Walker passed for 11 assists.
Lebanon had 14 deflections and 20 steals while committing just 11 turnovers.
The Devilettes hosted Cookeville last night in a battle for first place in District 7-4A and will entertain Stewarts Creek at 6 p.m. Tuesday in their home finale.
Fourth quarter finishes off CentralGLADEVILLE — Wilson Central’s girls were within striking distance of visiting Stewarts Creek on Tuesday until a one-point fourth quarter finished off the Lady Wildcats in a 53-31 loss.
The Lady Wildcats led 9-7 at the first-quarter break before Stewarts Creek moved ahead 23-20 by halftime and 38-30 going into the fourth where the Red Hawks dominated the home team 15-1.
Center Brylee fly led the Lady Wildcats with 10 points and seven rebounds while Brooklyn Evert supplied seven points and four steals. Ellie Ramsey had three assists and Kiley Jo Byrom a pair of 3-pointers as each scored six points. Olivia Kinning tossed in two points.
Central traveled to Smyrna last night and will visit LaVergne at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
