ENGLEWOOD, Tenn. - At this point in her career, very few things can rattle Jacobi Lynn. McMinn Central's junior guard has played at the highest level in the state, against state championship competition in front of huge crowds, so nerves are not an issue.
In fact with a packed house that included University of Tennessee at Chattanooga assistant coach John McCray there to scout her, Lynn put on a shooting clinic to lead the Chargerettes to a 72-62 win over nondistrict foe Meigs County in a battle of state-ranked rivals.
The only time Lynn looked unsure came off the court, moments after the game, when she sheepishly asked Coach McCray if it was OK for her to talk to him or if it was a recruiting dead period.
Lynn lit up the scoreboard for 22 of her game-high 33 points in the first half, including all four of her 3-pointers, and she shot 47 percent from the floor for the game to pace Class AA's second-ranked team.
"Getting to play against another team that's really good had a big impact on our whole team," said Lynn, who also had three assists and is being recruited by Liberty and Tennessee Tech as well as UTC. "It was a lot of motivation for us because we knew we would get their best game.
"My shot felt good from early on in the game, and I just kept getting more confidence every time I made one. There's no better feeling in the world than being in that zone. Especially with the extra motivation of knowing there was a coach here from UTC."
Meigs County, No. 5 in this week's Class A rankings, took an early five-point lead, but McMinn Central countered quickly and began to extend a four-point second-quarter lead to double digits by halftime. The Chargerettes (18-2), who have won 15 of their games by double figures, stretched the margin to 20-plus before the Lady Tigers made a late run. Jordan Wright added 17 points and four assists and Bailey Martin had nine rebounds for McMinn Central.
Meigs County (16-3) had won seven straight coming into the game, but its continual pressure that typically gives teams fits rarely bothered the Chargerettes' guards.
"The thing that's helped us the most the last few years is how deep our bench is," Chargerettes coach Johnny Morgan said. "We can play eight or nine, and I think we were able to stay fresh and wear them down a little bit.
"We've been shooting the ball really well lately, and that's really been something that's a strength through the whole team, not just Jacobi or a couple of players. We've got kids who can handle the ball and shoot it, and that's a big help."
The Lady Tigers were led by their own all-state star as Taylor Boggess scored 29 points.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.