MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A strong third quarter and some late-game free-throw heroics helped Howard beat Bolivar Central 75-65 in the Class AA state basketball quarterfinals today.
The Hustlin’ Tigers blew open what was a five-point halftime lead by scoring the first 12 points of the third quarter and led by as much as 18 in the second half. Fourth-ranked Bolivar Central got as close as six in the last minute, but Howard was 6-of-6 at the free-throw line in the final 50 seconds to hold on to its first state-tournament win since 1993.
Fifth-ranked Howard (31-2) will play Memphis Mitchell in Friday’s semifinals at 6:15 p.m. EDT. Mitchell defeated third-ranked Austin East 58-56 in the quarterfinals.
For more on this story, read Friday’s Chattanooga Times Free Press Sports section.
Stephen has covered high school sports in the tri-state area since the early 1990s, starting at the News-Free Press as a 19-year-old reporter. He has been with the Times Free Press since its inception and has been an assistant sports editor for more than seven years. Stephen is among the most decorated writers in the TFP’s newsroom, winning numerous state and regional awards for his writing on high school athletics. He has two children, Riley ...
Or login with:
New Account