CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Jamia Williams has embraced her role as a "ball hounder" for Bradley Central's girls' basketball team. The senior guard, who has averaged three assists and nearly two steals per game over the last two seasons, is part of a fierce defense that has helped lead the Bearettes return to the state tournament for a 32nd time - the most by any girls' program in state history.
The top-ranked Bearettes (27-1) will face Lebanon (28-4) in the Class AAA state quarterfinals Thursday at 2:30 at Middle Tennessee State University. It's also the fourth straight trip to the state tournament for Bradley, which won its sixth title two seasons ago on a heroic last-second shot.
"We are excited and want to prove the doubters wrong and win another championship," said Williams, who missed out on last season's state tournament after tearing her meniscus in the region tournament. "No matter how tired we get, we are all going to hound the ball and get after the other team. When we are able to wear down our opponent it keeps us up and energized."
The Bearettes' defense is one of the fiercest in the state, averaging 11 steals and 20 forced turnovers per game. Ashlan Crittenden has excelled in her role as the first player off the bench, sharing the team lead with 47 steals with Sloan Carpenter and Hannah Jones.
Bradley Central has outscored opponents by an average of 29.3 points, while shooting 49 percent as a team and holding opposing teams to a mark just above 30 percent. Kelsey Carman and Karsee Weber have combined for 89 3-pointers and each shoot better than 45 percent from distance.
"Jamia is a strong leader and one younger players should certainly look up to the way she handles her role," said Bradley Central coach Jason Reuter. "She hounds the point guard and can get through screens almost like a dog trailing a rabbit. Most people are not comfortable when you are right in their face. That's what she does for us."
Meigs County (21-4) will open the Class AA portion of the tournament Wednesday against Westview (26-1) at 7 p.m. The Lady Tigers have won 16 straight and are led by Anna Crowder (13 points per game), Jacelyn Stone (12.3 PPG, 3.8 assists) and Jaci Powell (10.1 PPG).
BASEBALL
* Heritage 10, Southeast Whitfield 0 (6): Zach Barrett earned the win with six innings of four-hit, six-strikeout pitching. Caden Snyder and Alex Mixon each had two hits and drove in two runs to lead a 12-hit attack, while Cannon Stafford was 2-for-3 with an RBI, Landon Skeen 2-for-3 and Brady Chandler drove in a pair of runs for the Generals (7-2) in their Region 7-AAAA opener.
* Calhoun 4, Blessed Trinity 1: Hagan Banks struck out 13 and allowed five hits and no earned runs as the Yellow Jackets (6-2) won their Region 7-AAAAA opener. Calhoun trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the sixth before scoring four runs, with Dante Morton, John Andrew Cash, Braden Saunders and Barrett Saunders each driving in one run. Banks, after allowing a leadoff single to the Titans in the seventh inning, struck out the side to seal the win.
* Gordon Lee 19, Drew Charter 0: The Trojans (6-1) scored three times in the first inning and added 16 in the second in winning their Region 6-A public school opener. Brody Cobb drove in three runs on two hits, with Brodie Genter and Cade Peterson each adding two hits and two RBIs.
* Northwest Whitfield 6, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 3: The Bruins (8-2) received two hits each from Matt Redmond and Brett Talley, with Talley also earning the pitching win with a complete-game effort. Talley, Aiden Hosford, Cade Fisher, Daiman Banta and Asa Cleghorn each drove in one run for Northwest, while Malachi Powell had two hits for LFO.
* Rome 1, Coahulla Creek 0: Rome's Hayden Filletti pitched a two-hit shutout with 17 strikeouts, out-dueling the Colts' Ben Glines, who allowed three hits and no runs while striking out seven in four innings.