Bradley Central girls' basketball coach Jason Reuter talks strategy during a timeout in Saturday's Class AAA state sectional at Bradley. The Bearettes won 63-34 and will play next in the state tournament in Murfreesboro.CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Bradley Central's TSSAA Class AAA girls' basketball state sectional Saturday night started out eerily similar to last year's. The finish was completely different.
The Bearettes struggled shooting somewhat in the first half against Blackman, just like they did a year ago against Stewarts Creek, but they still managed to lead by double digits at halftime this time around. Once the 3-pointers started dropping in the third quarter, Bradley Central ended up cruising to a 63-34 victory.
No. 2-ranked Bradley (32-0) is one of eight teams in its classification advancing to Murfreesboro, where it will get the chance to compete for the sixth state title in program history.
In last season's 55-49 sectional loss to the Lady Red Hawks, the Bearettes were 1-for-16 from 3-point distance. On Saturday, Bradley was 1-for-14 from behind the arc in the first half.
However, because their defense was so stout - the Lady Blaze went scoreless from Nia Van Zant's 3-pointer at 5:26 of the first quarter until Alex Booker scored off a rebound at 5:30 of the second - the Bearettes still led by 12 points at the break.
"I reminded them at halftime that we were 1-of-16 with the 3-ball last year," said Bradley coach Jason Reuter, whose team was also 14-of-27 from the free-throw line a year ago. "That and free throws is why we didn't go (to the state tournament) last year.
"The good news is we were at halftime. I told them, 'They've got to start falling.' Thank goodness they did."
They started falling for Bradley in a 23-point third quarter that included five of its seven 3-point goals in the game.
"It was frustrating, but I knew they would start falling eventually," said Rhyne Howard, Bradley's oversized point guard, who led all scorers with 27 points. "I just had to keep my head up for my teammates. I knew as long as I stayed good and stayed positive for them, then they'd stay that way, too."
Howard was the main reason Bradley had the advantage it did at halftime with her 11 points. She also passed two former Bearettes on the school's all-time scoring list in the first half and now sits in third with 2,474 points.
"It's an honor playing with her," junior Kaleigh Hughes said. "She's very humble. She just asks for the best from everybody on the team. She's definitely made it easier on the younger girls. She picks everybody up."
Howard, who has signed with Kentucky and is the team's only senior, also had 15 rebounds, three assists, four steals and two blocks. But it was her scoring that was most critical, considering substitute Jamaryn Blair with 12 points was the only other Bradley player in double figures.
"Rhyne's just too big of a matchup for any of those girls," Reuter said. "If we got the ball to her anywhere near the bucket, it was like a grown woman playing with kids. No offense to Blackman; that's just the way it is."
The Bearettes have gotten to this point despite losing five of their top six players off last year's team, mostly to graduation.
"They were a big part of my career, but I knew my teammates this year would have my back," Howard said. "They showed up tonight and got me to the state tournament."