Chargerettes surge into AA final

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- More than three quarters of frustration were overcome by a five-minute barrage in which the McMinn Central girls' basketball team could do no wrong.

After struggling offensively throughout the game, the top-ranked Chargerettes' defensive pressure helped create a late offensive avalanche that buried eighth-ranked Westview 48-34 in the semifinals of the Class AA state tournament at Middle Tennessee State University.

McMinn Central led for less than five minutes of game time and trailed by 10 points late in the third quarter before making a 16-0 run in the final 5:19 to overtake Westview.

The Chargerettes, who have never won a state championship, earned their first title-game appearance since 2004 and will play defending state champion Gibson County today at 5 p.m. EST.

Gibson (34-1) blistered South Greene 81-42 in the semifinals and has beaten its two state-tourney opponents by a combined 59 points. The Lady Pioneers are led by Miss Basketball finalist Heather Butler, who scored 65 points in the two games and is 23 from breaking a 25-year-old tournament record for most points scored.

"The defense really created the opportunity for us to stay close and then to get things going late," Chargerettes coach Johnny Morgan said. "We never really got our offense going at all.

"In the first half we didn't have the fight you have to have at this point to win, but defense gave us a spark. It really kept the fire going when we were struggling. I told the girls at halftime we were very lucky to have played as bad as we did but only be down six points."

McMinn Central scored the opening basket but shot just 6-of-24 the rest of the half. The second-half shooting wasn't much better, and the Chargerettes made just 29 percent of their field-goal attempts for the game, including 1 of 13 from 3-point range.

But one day after scoring a career-high 30 points, Chargerettes senior point guard Madison Lee again was responsible for turning momentum. During a 16-second span late in the third period, Lee grabbed two steals and converted them into five quick points to cut the deficit to three. Lee was called for her fourth personal foul with 5:19 remaining in the game and McMinn Central trailing by five, but Westview's Amber Rechis was whistled for a technical on the same play after elbowing Lee in the face.

"I was just trying to go for the ball, be aggressive and make something happen on defense," Lee said. "The next thing I knew the whistle blew and I knew I had fouled her, but then I got hit in the face. Our defense and our effort are what won us the game."

Lee's ensuing two free throws started the spree of 16 straight points before Westview's Sara Olds hit a 3-pointer with 33 seconds remaining. By that point McMinn Central led by 11.

"I was just raising my arms to show the ref that I didn't foul her," Rechis said. "When my arm went up I hit her in the face. That really seemed to turn things their way. We had a few mess-ups after that, and it just got out of hand."

During the final 5:19 Westview was called for eight fouls, including two charges, turned the ball over six times and missed six shots.

McMinn Central put the game away by hitting 15 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter, including 5 of 5 by Lee, who finished with 11 points. Jenna Adams led the Chargerettes with 18 points and 14 rebounds.