CLEVELAND, Tenn. — A late role reversal paved the way for Walker Valley to get to the state high school basketball tournament.
Rather than a scenario like post player Kayla Sewell blocking a shot and guard Courtney Gobble making a clinching free throw, the opposite happened in the waning seconds of Saturday’s Class AAA girls’ state sectional at Walker Valley. As a result, the Lady Mustangs defeated Blackman 42-38 and are headed to Murfreesboro.
Walker Valley (32-2), which has one previous state-tournament berth in Class AA, was leading by three points with 18.8 seconds to play. The Lady Blaze had just forced a turnover and got a timeout called during scramble at midcourt before the Lady Mustangs could create a jump-ball situation.
Eventually the ball ended up in Chelsey Hall’s hands on the left wing, and she went up for a potential tying shot.
About the time the 10-second mark went by, Gobble came down from up top and got a hand on the shot.
“I saw it coming,” Gobble said. “I knew I had to at least get a hand in her face. I ended up getting a little more.”
The ball ended up in Sewell’s grasp, and she was fouled with 6.2 seconds remaining. She missed the first free throw in the double-bonus situation but sealed the win by making the second.
“That’s the way we always play, here, there and everywhere,” Walker Valley coach David Tucker said of Gobble’s block. “I felt like defense was the difference in the ballgame.”
The Lady Mustangs jumped to an 8-0 lead and never trailed, although they never led by double digits. The only tie was at 12.
“We just couldn’t get that bucket to put us over the top,” Blackman coach Chad Hibdon said. “I think it would’ve worked phychologically on both sides. The fact that they had the lead the whole time and lost it might’ve put a little more pressure on them.
“We were getting some good looks at the basket, even though some of them were highly contested.”
The Lady Blaze ended up with a 15-14 edge in field goals. However, half of Walker Valley’s were 3-pointers. Blackman totaled three 3s. The Lady Mustangs’ Alli Moreland had that many in the third quarter.
“Coach Tucker tells us when we’re open out there to shoot it,” said Gobble, who made two 3-point shots and equaled Moreland with 15 points.
Hibdon credited the Lady Mustangs’ defensive penetration for setting up their perimeter shooters.
“We play four guards and one inside,” Tucker said. “Our 3-point shooting was crucial.”
Kourtney Cox’s 15 points led Blackman, which ended its season 22-8.