Win and in state for four area girls teams

MURFREESBORO – Four area girls basketball teams have a chance to punch their ticket to the TSSAA Division I Girls Basketball State Championships today with a win in their respective sectionals.

Defending state champion Blackman and Oakland represent Rutherford County in Class AAA. And Central Magnet and Cannon County are competing in Class AA.

Here are five things to know about today’s sectional games.

Blaze peaking right now

Top-ranked Blackman has won its five postseason girls basketball games by an average of 25.6 points a contest, including the last two region tournament games by 29.5.

Tennessee signee MeMe Jackson has had perhaps her top-two offensive performances of the season in the region semifinals and final, connecting on nine total 3-pointers.

Add in Connecticut commitment Crystal Dangerfield at point guard and MTSU signee Alex Johnson in the paint and the Lady Blaze will be a tough out in the postseason.

The Lady Blaze (28-2) host Cumberland County (26-5) at 7 p.m. today in a rematch of a 72-39 Blackman sectional win in 2014.

Lady Patriots must make shots

Sixth-ranked Oakland goes on the road tonight searching for their first sectional win since 2005. The Lady Patriots (25-7) must win at White County (29-3) in Sparta — a difficult gym to win in — to reach the Class AAA state tournament.

Oakland must find its shooting touch early to have a chance to win. Looking at its losses, cold shooting nights have led to the bulk of their losses.

That likely means that junior post player Shelby Gibson must get off to a quick start in the paint.

Central Magnet’s

1st-timers go on road

Central Magnet, now in its fourth year of varsity action, never advanced to a region semifinal prior to this season.

Today, the Lady Tigers add to that history.

Central Magnet (25-6) plays at McMinn Central (27-5) at 6 p.m. (CT) in a Class AA sectional. The fourth-ranked Lady Tigers face a program rich in postseason experience.

Since 2002, the Chargerettes have been to the state tournament eight times.

Cinderella lives

in Woodbury

Cannon County has reached two straight Class AA state tournaments. But after graduating the school’s second-leading scorer in school history in Abbey Sissom, most likely wrote this year’s team off in extending that streak.

However, the Lionettes are in position to make it three straight today with a win over Sequoyah.

Kelli Davis, Erin McReynolds, Kendra Maynard and Autumn King have keyed Cannon’s postseason success.

Quick turnaround for winners

For the 24 girls winners tonight, coaches and players will get little time to prep for the state tournament. The state tournament tips off Wednesday with Class AAA and a pair of Class A quarterfinal games being played.

Coaches have likely already began some research on potential opponents just in case.

Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.

TODAY’S GAMES

(All games at 7 p.m. local time)

Oakland at White Co.*

Cumberland Co. at Blackman**

Sequoyah at Cannon Co.***

Central Magnet at McMinn Central

*WGNS (1450-AM, 100.5-FM)

**Tape delayed on WGNS after the Oakland game.

***WBRY (1540-AM, 96.7-FM)