Juanita Montgomery, left, shoots the basketball as Chappel Sharrock attempts to guard her during the Tyner basketball game against GPS for the Chattanooga Times Free Press’ Best of Preps basketball tournament.It was a good teaching moment, and Susan Crownover wasn’t about to let it slip away.
After her GPS team dispatched scrappy Tyner 66-52 in the semifinal round of the Times Free Press Best of Preps basketball tournament Tuesday at Arts & Sciences, she let her 8-0 team know that, though the effort was apparent, the execution was lacking.
“We’re growing, just like everybody else,” said Crownover, whose team will face top rival Baylor tonight in the championship game. “I thought we did a good job with our full-court press. We played hard; we just didn’t play pretty.
“It frustrates me, but I’m thrilled we won. I keep telling the girls, ‘Do you want me to expect mediocrity or do you expect we can get better?’ I don’t expect us to be perfect, but I do want us to be cleaner.”
The Bruisers were ice cold from the outside, failing to connect on any 3-point attempts, but their defense made up for it, forcing 26 Tyner turnovers, including 10 in the opening period. Steals by Simone Busby and Chadarryl Clay keyed an 8-0 run to end the period and give GPS a 13-6 lead.
Busby and Clay ended with 20 and 19 points.
Clay at times took over the game. With jump shots not falling, the athletic point guard consistently drove the lane, scoring or setting up Busby or other Bruisers for easy shots. A 10-point halftime lead grew to 14 entering the fourth quarter, and with Clay’s relentless penetration, the Lady Rams played catch-up the rest of the way.
Brittany McKinney scored 17 points for Tyner.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.