When the stakes are highest, momentum is a powerful thing. For the Bradley Central boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, it played a big role in their Region 3-AAA semifinal split Friday at Ooltewah.
The Bradley boys grabbed the momentum early and cruised to a 49-28 win over Stone Memorial, but the Bearettes’ 64-60 double-overtime loss to White County had a very different flavor.
“Wow,” said White County coach Bryan Haley. “Oh, man. It was just a game of runs. We came out hot, then got stagnant when we hit 12, and they made a run. Then at the start of the third quarter it was ‘Here they come.'”
The Lady Warriors led 13-6 after the first quarter, but Halle Hughes started the Bearettes with a three-point play in the second, and Rhyne Howard took over. Howard became a force in the paint, scoring eight points in the quarter and her team headed to the locker room with a 19-18 lead.
In the third quarter, Bradley Central looked to put the game away, leading by as many as 13 points. Hughes and Howard combined for 14 of the team’s 21 points.