CLEVELAND, Tenn. — The Chattanooga area’s most successful girls’ basketball program has given plenty of reasons to believe that winning state title No. 8 is possible this season.
The Bradley Central Bearettes have certainly given no reason to doubt them.
Bradley Central, ranked No. 1 in TSSAA Class 4A, rolled to its ninth straight region championship behind a locked-in shooting performance from junior Harmonie Ware on Wednesday night. Ware made all four of her 3-point attempts, including three from the left corner in front of her team’s bench during the second half of a runaway 75-43 home win over Cleveland in the Region 3-4A final.
“Around this time of the year, we simply want to win more than anyone else,” said Ware, who finished with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field. “We go out there and have fun. We also fight and have more intensity each game because we just want that gold ball. That is what we are shooting for.”
If coach Jason Reuter’s Bearettes add another such trophy next month, they would become the second group in program history to repeat as state champions, joining the Bradley Central teams that won back-to-back titles in 1975 and 1976 under legendary coach Jim Smiddy.
While staying “humble and hungry” is one motto for the current Bearettes, Ware and her teammates know the potential of a roster with multiple Division I-caliber prospects.
“I think we do have a chance to be the best team in school history,” Ware said. “Coach Reuter believes we can do really big things with this group. We have special players on this team and we believe in each other, and if we continue to all be leaders on the court and play together, we will do really big things.”
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The Bearettes (30-1) will host during Saturday’s sectional round against Region 4-4A runner-up Oakland (18-12), while Cleveland (22-9) will travel to face Blackman (19-8). Those games with state tournament berths at stake are set for 7 p.m. Eastern.
Region 3-4A tournament MVP Kimora Fields dominated the paint Wednesday as the 6-foot forward grabbed 11 rebounds (five offensive), blocked six shots and scored 18 points for Bradley Central despite fouling out with 5:13 left in the fourth quarter.
Fields, a Class 4A Miss Basketball finalist, had back-to-back blocks in a dominant run when junior teammate Avary Brewer stripped a ball at midcourt for an easy steal and score as part of her 15-point performance. Brewer and classmate Malia Wilcox had four steals apiece on defense and ignited the offense by combining for 13 assists.
“Our team is really playing well together,” Fields said. “We have built a chemistry off the court that carries onto the court as well. Every girl on this team can be a leader. We take pride in our program, and we are working hard one game at a time to try and take this thing all the way.”
Bradley Central was 10-of-19 from 3-point range against Cleveland, included buzzer-beating shots to end the second and third quarter by Love Howard and Grace Phillips, respectively.
Cleveland, which was forced into 24 turnovers, was led in scoring by Illianis Rodriguez with 11 points. Lauren Hurst finished with eight points, four steals and a pair of blocks in the defeat.
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The Bearettes — who outscored their opponents 253-112 in the league tournament — led from start to finish against Cleveland, with Ware leading a 3-point barrage that kept the Lady Blue Raiders from stopping the run of region titles.
“Harmonie is the type of player who can pick us up no matter what is going on,” Fields said. “When emotions are high, she is someone you can turn to. She is one of many great players we have.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.