The Brentwood Academy girls basketball team secured its fourth straight trip to the Division II-AA state championship behind Friday’s convincing 68-49 semifinal victory over Harpeth Hall.

Brentwood Academy (25-5) will take on Baylor (23-7) in Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. championship game at Lipscomb University.

The two time-defending champion Lady Eagles (25-5), led by senior Breuna Jackson’s game-high 17 points, began both halves with a bang, stringing together a 10-0 run to start the game before returning from halftime with a 15-0 spurt.

“We wanted to be the aggressor,” Brentwood Academy coach Rhonda Brown said. “We played them twice before and knew that if we could speed them up hopefully they’d throw it to us a couple of times.”

Harpeth Hall, which committed 20 turnovers while shooting just 28 percent from the field, settled down and eventually found its rhythm after the slow start, pulling to within 23-18 on a Mary Triplett 3-pointer with 4:49 left in the first half.

However, Brentwood Academy outscored the Lady Bears 8-0 in the final 1:20 of the first half to claim a 32-20 advantage at the break.

“That was tough,” Triplett said. “We tried to keep our heads up and keep going, but their press, I think that is what got us at the beginning of the game and at the end of the first half.”

Triplett, who shot 4-of-6 from 3-point range, tallied a team-high 14 points for Harpeth Hall (20-8).

“I think we beat ourselves,” Lady Bears coach Anne Johnston said. “You can’t beat a team like that by shooting 25 percent with double-digit turnovers … You can’t have any lapses against them because they’re going to take advantage.”

Two-time Division II-AA Miss Basketball finalist Sydni Harvey finished with 13 points for the Lady Eagles, who converted on 24 of their 29 trips to the free throw line. Makaila Wilson added 12 points and six rebounds.

“It’s always important for us to come out with intensity and just don’t let up,” said Jackson, who finished 6-of-6 from the field. “That’s how we play. Just don’t let up.”

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

Brentwood Academy’s Makaila Wilson (14) is fouled while shooting against Harpeth Hall’s Mary Triplett (3) during the TSSAA DII-AA semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 4, 2016.