Baylor's Precious Birdsong (12) takes the ball down the court while Chattanooga Christian's Shelby Balch, left, and Mary Sabourin (10) defend during the Best of Preps tournament, held at Chattanooga State Community College on Friday.BAYLOR 50, CHATTANOOGA CHRISTIAN 22CCS 4 5 4 9 - 22Baylor 7 13 14 16 - 50Chattanooga Christian (22) - Sabourin 3, Loyal, Henry 4, Davis 3, Smith 5, Hughes, Delashmitt 3, Balch, Click 4, Day, Royer.Baylor (50) - Kaleigh Clemons 17, Carter, Simpkins, Huckabay 2, Popp 6, Karmon 2, Kaufman, Abby Hubert 15, Birdsong 6, Smith, Blackmon, McMahan 2.3-point goals: CCS 1 (Davis); Baylor 1 (Clemons). Other highlights: Clemons 6 s; Hubert 4 s (B); Hannah Henry 3 s (CCS). Records: Baylor 6-7; CCS 6-7.
Girls bracketAfter his team's semifinal victory Friday in the Times Free Press Best of Preps tournament at Chattanooga State, Baylor girls' basketball coach John Gibson talked of the various defenses the Lady Red Raiders used and mentioned 1-3-1 and 2-3 zones.
Chattanooga Christian's Lady Chargers probably thought it was more like 2-3-2 or 3-4.
Led by its swarming defense that created 35 turnovers, Baylor coasted past CCS 50-22 and into tonight's championship game.
Baylor (6-7), which was playing its 11th game in 21 days but got its regulars some rest late, will take on Cleveland for the title.
Gibson also threw man-to-man defenses, both full- and half-court, at the Lady Chargers, who were limited to five field goals through the first three quarters. The Lady Raiders led by 21 points heading to the fourth, then scored the first 10 in that period for a 44-13 lead.
"Three weeks ago they couldn't do that because they're so young," Gibson said of switching defenses throughout the game. "We did a good job hounding the ball and turning it into easy points."
Freshman point guard Kaleigh Clemons, who played most of her minutes in the first half, led Baylor with 17 points and six steals. Classmate Abby Hubert came off the bench and scored 15 points and had four of the Lady Raiders' 20 steals.
"Baylor was everywhere," CCS coach Laura Cottrell said. "They were passionate about getting the ball. We were just not strong with it."
Cottrell added that her regular rotation of players played the bulk of Thursday's quarterfinal and sensed some fatigue. The Lady Chargers' leading scorer against Baylor was Joanna Smith with five points.
"I expect a different group to show up tomorrow," Cottrell said of today's third-place game against GPS at 4 p.m.