Tennessee girls’ stars pounce on Georgia
› The score: Tennessee 102, Georgia 43 › The stats: Perhaps the biggest number-related development that had the biggest impact on the game was that 10 players appeared for Tennessee while five showed up for Georgia. The Tennessee all-stars scored the game’s first nine points and 18 of the first 20. Rhea County’s Jessee Wallis led the winners with 23 points, and Signal Mountain’s Aryn Sanders added 22 and was player of the game. Every player scored for Tennessee, including Grundy County’s Mikayla Williams, the other double-figure scorer with 11. Ridgeland’s Destiny Irvin scored 16 points for Georgia, and Armuchee’s Rebekah Hammond contributed 15. › The quote: “That group right there is a special group that we’ve been watching for a long time. It was an honor to be able to coach that team right there. I’ve coached these girls or against them. It sure was nice having them all on the same bench, that’s for sure.” – Notre Dame and Tennessee girls’ coach Jason Hill › The 3-point-shooting contest winner: Taylor Boggess, Meigs County. – By Kelley Smiddie
There was an Akia Harris sighting Tuesday.
Most notably known from her time as a basketball standout at Girls Preparatory School, Harris took part in the Tennessee-Georgia girls’ high school all-star game at Notre Dame.
She scored nine points as all 10 Tennessee players scored in a 102-43 victory.
Harris, as a freshman, was part of a Bruisers basketball team that won the TSSAA Division II-AA state championship. But her senior year she toiled in relative obscurity, as far as local media coverage goes, as a basketball player for non-TSSAA member Hamilton Heights.
Hamilton Heights is an anomaly in the Chattanooga area in that although it’s a small Christian school, its boys’ and girls’ basketball schedules rival those of nationally relevant independent schools such as Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
“The biggest thing to adjust to about Hamilton Heights is that it’s a lot smaller than GPS,” Harris said. “But as far as basketball, the competition got me ready for the collegiate level. It was like playing for a D-I school. We went everywhere – Washington, D.C., Florida “
Harris, who reports to Tennessee Tech for summer workouts July 9, said she didn’t like that she had to give up playing soccer when she left GPS – Hamilton Heights doesn’t have a soccer team – but she managed.
“Yeah, I miss it,” she said, “but basketball is my number one.”
Notre Dame girls’ coach Jason Hill was around Harris for two practices and Tuesday’s game but also knew of her abilities as far back as when she was in middle school. He didn’t miss coaching against her last season, but the reasons are complimentary.
“When I was at Signal Mountain I coached against her three times,” Hill said. “She’s the most difficult thing we had to play against. She does a little bit of everything and makes everything better for her team. I think she’s as good defensively as anybody in the area. She’s going to do great things at the college level. She’s got a work ethic.”
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him at twitter.com/KelleySmiddie.
Tennessee boys win 97-73 over Georgia
› The score: Tennessee 97, Georgia 73 › The stats: The star-studded Tennessee roster overwhelmed Georgia’s seven-man team with athletic ability and unselfishness. Tennessee player of the game Matt Harveston from Marion County had 10 of his 13 points in the second period as a two-point margin grew to 19 by halftime. Bradley Central’s Bradley McCurdy also had 13 points and led rebounders with seven, while Red Bank’s Malik McConnell had 12 points and McCallie’s Adrian Thomas, Central’s Terron Hayes and Notre Dame’s Tyler Byrd added 11 each. Georgia player of the game Dwight Hall from Model and his teammate, Brian Griffin, scored 16 points each. Dalton’s Tanner Storey had 10 points and the individual highlight of the night with a reverse dunk. › The quote: “It was fun. This is a fun group of guys who got along with each other well, which was cool. Their general love of the game stood out to me this week. That Tyler Byrd/Ryan Montgomery dunk contest was much anticipated, and the fans loved it.” – Tennessee boys’ coach J.P. Nerbun › Dunk contest: Central’s Montgomery edged Notre Dame’s Byrd for the title, including a perfect score in the second round and a 39 out of 40 score on his final dunk, which had the large crowd on its feet. › 3-point contest: Heritage guard Hunter Erickson won the title with a score of 15, while Tennessee’s McCurdy had 14. – By Lindsey Young