Webb's state tournament streak comes to an end

The banner that hangs above Webb School of Knoxville’s basketball court listing all of the Lady Spartans’ state tournament appearances had space for one final year in the bottom right corner.

It will have to wait at least another season before it gets filled.

Webb’s streak of 14 straight state tournament appearances came to an end on Friday, as the Lady Spartans fell to Harding Academy 47-40 in their Division II-A sub-state matchup.

“I’m disappointed for this team because they are special, just like the rest of the teams (that have made state at this program),” Webb coach Shelley Collier said. “I wanted it for them, but I couldn’t be more proud of this group of young ladies because nobody thought we would even be here. Nobody gave us any credit, but to do what this team did was remarkable.”

A year ago, the Lady Spartans downed Harding Academy with a buzzer beater to advance to state. This time around, the Lady Lions left no room for theatrics.

The size advantage created by 6-footers Antoinette Lewis, who scored a team-high 12 points, and Sage Hawley made it hard for the Lady Spartans to score or get stops in the interior, allowing Harding Academy to build an early lead. The Lady Lions ended the first quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 17-5 lead, and inched away a little further to enter the break with a 28-15 advantage.

“We were a little bit timid and not attacking where we needed to attack,” Collier said. “They’re big, so that’s a hard look. You can simulate it and talk about it and watch it in film all you want, but when you have to go against it, it’s a difficult task."

Webb put a dent in the deficit in the second half but never managed to overcome it. A 12-2 run to start the third quarter made it 30-27, but the Lady Spartans never got any closer. Harding Academy outscored Webb 10-5 over the fourth quarter’s first six minutes, 53 seconds to put the game out of reach.

The Lady Spartans put an up-and-down season behind them to win four consecutive games en route to Division II-A district and region titles. Those banners will need updating in the offseason, but the state ones will have to wait to see what this young team accomplishes next year.

“I’m proud of our team and how far we’ve come this season,” said sophomore Casey Collier, who scored a game high-tying 16 points. “We overcame a lot of adversity, and I’m glad I got to play with the best three seniors I’ve ever had. … There’s a lot of hope here. We have five freshmen and four eighth graders coming up, so I think we’re going to be pretty good in the future.”