Bianca Hensley, a former Ole Miss basketball standout who coached the Stewarts Creek High School girls to a program-record 29 wins this past season, has been hired to lead Cleveland’s Lady Blue Raiders.
In Hensley’s four seasons heading Stewarts Creek, the Nashville-area program won 93 games. The Lady Red Hawks are also coming off back-to-back district championships and were within a win of reaching the Class 4A state tournament this past March, losing in the TSSAA postseason’s sectional round to Cleveland rival Bradley Central.
The Bearettes, who defeated the Lady Blue Raiders in the Region 3 final to set up the sectional against Stewarts Creek, went on to win the program’s seventh state title.
Hensley’s interest in applying for the job with the Lady Blue Raiders was sparked when she recalled watching a postseason game at Raider Arena as Cleveland hosted Bradley Central.
“I am very familiar with Bradley Central,” said Hensley, who’s from Henderson, Tennessee. “We went to Bradley two years ago and lost in two overtimes, and they returned the game to us, and we were fortunate enough to beat them. Coach (Jason) Reuter does an exceptional job there.