Chargerettes lose semifinal

Slideshow: State Basketball Championships

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Jessica McQueen never hesitated.

Despite having struggled from behind the 3-point line all night, Marshall County’s senior guard connected on a trey with 1:15 remaining to give her team a one-point lead. That shot led to a 6-2 run to end the game as the Tigerettes held off top-ranked McMinn Central 45-43 in the semifinals of the Class AA girls’ state basketball tournament Friday at Middle Tennessee State University.

“It doesn’t matter if she’s missed 10 in a row — she’s got the green light,” Marshall County coach David Steely said. “She knows if she’s open we have confidence she’ll bury it.”

McQueen, who has made more than 80 3-pointers this season, had made only one of six to that point. Her teammates had also struggled, missing all three of their 3-point tries. However thanks to 6-foot-1 junior post Lauren March’s presence under the basket, the seventh-ranked Tigerettes made better than 60 percent of their 2-point attempts.

Marshall County will face third-ranked Milan for the championship today. Milan, led by Miss Basketball finalist Chantel Poston’s 21 points, beat Upperman 64-44.

McMinn Central (32-3) had won 21 consecutive games, and the loss was its first to a AA opponent.

“I thought we did a good job defensively, but we were impatient on the offensive end,” Chargerettes coach Johnny Morgan said. “When you get this far, every possession counts. They got us out of our rhythm, and really it was a battle of two good defensive teams.

“I really thought we could come here and win it.”

As evidence of the Chargerettes’ offensive haste, they attempted 14 more shots than Marshall County in the first half but trailed by four points.

An 11-2 run to end the first quarter put the Tigerettes (31-4) ahead by seven. When March scored with 5:52 left in the opening period, Marshall County had its biggest lead, 20-10, and was shooting 73 percent from the floor, compared to McMinn Central’s 24 percent.

But the Chargerettes answered with an 11-0 run, sparked by their full-court pressure that led to three consecutive turnovers and a short-lived one-point lead.

“We’re very confident in our press,” said Chargerettes junior Kylie Lambert, who led her team with 14 points. “No matter how far they got ahead, we felt like we could come back with pressure. That’s what we’re known for.”

After Marshall County extended its lead back to six early in the third quarter, the Chargerettes again turned momentum with their press, causing three turnovers in the backcourt during an 8-0 run. The teams began the fourth period tied.

Lambert converted a steal into a short jump shot for a 41-39 lead with 1:38 left. But after McQueen’s trey, McMinn Central did not score again until Lambert’s layup with four seconds remaining. Following one made free throw by March, who had 23 points and nine rebounds, McMinn Central failed to get off a shot in the final two seconds.