Huntingdon, Dresden play back-to-back on Thursday
Fans of District 13-A basketball will feel right at home on Thursday at the Murphy Center when the girls basketball teams from Huntingdon and Dresden play in back-to-back quarterfinal games in the Class A state tournament.
Huntingdon (25-4) will play Hampton (22-13) at 2:45 p.m., and Dresden (28-7) will follow at 4:30 p.m. against Summertown (25-9).
Both coaches hope that playing two postseason tournaments at Crisp Arena on the campus of Bethel University will be a positive for their team.
"I think playing at Bethel will be a big factor," Huntingdon coach Farris Lowery said. "It is not as big as the Murphy Center, but it is the same set up with fans behind the baskets."
Making the state tournament isn't new for Lowery as he is making his seventh appearance at the Murphy Center after making five trips with North Side (four as a head coach and one as an assistant) and one with Milan in 1981.
"We are going to take the girls up there on Wednesday to see the arena," Lowery said. "I have learned that from going up there before. I have tried to learn something new every year I have gone up there."
But Sunday afternoon during the draw, Lowery had to be thinking back of his times at North Side when the Lady Indians drew Shelbyville early in the tournament. After Huntingdon's ball was drawn third, the fourth team in the top half of the bracket had to be one of two teams — defending state champion South Greene or Hampton.
"I was hoping for Hampton between those two, but I have been there before playing the best team in the quarterfinals," Lowery said.
Lowery feels that his team is similar to Hampton. Huntingdon is led by post players Jesica Keith and Marisa Belew, while Taylor Smith handles the ball and creates the offense.
"They have a good post game along with good guards," Lowery said. "When you get down to the final eight, they have to be good to be where they are now. I feel like we match up with them, so hopefully, we will come out and play a good game.
"We have to rebound and play good defense. We will also try to speed the game up."
Dresden lost to Huntingdon three times before winning in the region title game. The Lady Lions rallied in the second half to win that one over the Fillies, and they played well in the fourth quarter against Middleton to get to this point.
"I think what those games do is give our girls lots of confidence that no matter how the game starts, we can win the game," West said. "Been something we have struggled with in the past. If we got down early, we got down and didn't play very well. We were down 15-16 points against Huntingdon and fought back to win, and then against Middleton, we were down five with two minutes to go and won."
The last time Dresden made the state tournament in 2014, the Lady Lions struggled early and could never regain composure.
"We scored like two points in the first quarter last time and didn't make a field goal," West said. "If that happens, I think our girls have the confidence that we got to keep going because we can win this game."
Summertown is know for hitting 3-point shots, so Dresden is going to have to get out and defend on the perimeter.
"They have taken more 3-point shots this year than 2-point shots, according to the stats that we have on MaxPreps." West said. "They have two really outstanding 3-point shooters that have made 90 and 70 3s each. They like to score by driving the ball and kicking it out, and they finish around the rim. They are a man-to-man team that is pretty aggressive."
Dresden is led by a trio of girls that can score 20 points on any given night with Millie Bryant, Kasey Gallimore and Mary Grace Davis.
"I know there are going to be nerves," West said. "We went up and played at the Murphy Center this summer. The thought was that we have a chance to get to state, so let's go up there and play on the floor. We played at Bethel, so we have played on the floor-mounted goals, and we have played on the floor being 94 feet."
And West also agreed with Lowery in that rebounding will be key.
"Similar to every game at this point, rebounding is key," he said. "Every game of the tournament that we have won, we have outrebounded our opponent. The one game we lost to Huntingdon, they outrebounded us in the district championship game."
Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.
Clarkrange
Coach: Lamar Rogers
Mascot: Lady Buffaloes
Record: 25-10
State tournament history: 23rd appearance (first since 2015)
State titles: 8 (last came in 2009)
Players to watch: Kara Meadows (Sr., C, 23 points, Miss Basketball finalist); Hannah Garrett (Jr., W, 9.5 points); Charity Crabtree (Jr., F, 7.5 points, 6.0 rebounds)
Dresden
Coach: Jonathan West
Mascot: Lady Lions
Record: 28-7
State tournament history: 6th appearance (first since 2014)
State titles: None
Players to watch: Mary Grace Davis (Jr., F, 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds); Kasey Gallimore (Sr., F, 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds); Millie Bryant (Sr., G, 7.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists)
Hampton
Coach: Bud Hazelwood
Mascot: Lady Bulldogs
Record: 22-13
State tournament history: 7th appearance (first since 2013)
State titles: None
Players to watch: Alexus Grubbs (Sr., F, 15.1 points, 4.1 assists); Shyanne Tuelle (Jr., F, 13.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists); Megan Garland (Sr., C, 9.8 points, 7.5 rebounds)
Huntingdon
Coach: Farris Lowery
Mascot: Fillies
Record: 25-4
State tournament history: 3rd appearance (first since 2004)
State titles: None
Players to watch: Jesica Keith (Sr., C, 12.6 points, 8.2 rebounds); Taylor Smith (Jr., PG, 11.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists); Marisa Belew (Jr., C, 7.9 points, 4.8 rebounds.)
Perry County
Coach: Kristal Edney
Mascot: Lady Vikings
Record: 18-15
State tournament history: 7th appearance (qualified last year)
State titles: none
Players to watch: Chynia Brooks (Jr., G, 20.7 points, 7.2 rebounds); Alle Hinson (Sr., F, 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds); Jaycie Roberts (Soph., G, 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds)
Pickett County
Coach: Brent Smith
Mascot: Lady Bobcats
Record: 30-2
State tournament history: 11th appearance (qualified last year)
State titles: 5 (last came in 1989)
Players to watch: Courtney Pritchett (Jr., F, 15.2 points, 8.0 rebounds); Aaliyah Brown (Soph., G, 14.3 points, 3 rebounds)
South Greene
Coach: Stephen Gregg
Mascot: Lady Rebels
Record: 32-4
State tournament history: 29th appearance (qualified last year)
State titles: 5 (defending state champion)
Players to watch: Taylor Lamb (Jr., F, 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds); Braelyn Wykle (Soph., PG, 18.8 points, 2.3 steals, 2.3 assists)
Summertown
Coach: Craig McGill
Mascot: Lady Eagles
Record: 25-9
State tournament history: 7th appearance (first since 2013)
State titles: None
Players to watch: Lauren Graves (Jr., G, 10.9 points, 91 made 3s); Madison Dinwiddie (Sr., G, 9.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 61 made 3s); Reilly Brazier (Jr., G, 7.7 points, 3.9 assists)