Bearden girls made it to state tournament, now 'Our goal is to be in the championship'

Snip by snip, Bearden’s players climbed the ladder and cut down the net Saturday following their 55-39 win over visiting Jefferson County in the Class AAA girls sectional basketball game.

For sophomore Jakhyia Davis and senior Grace Van Rij, it was the last piece of unclaimed business around the basket in a dominating performance by the Lady Bulldogs’ relentless inside tandem.

Davis and Van Rij owned the post from the opening tap against the Lady Patriots, combining for 30 points and 20 rebounds as Bearden (28-7) advanced to the state tournament in Murfreesboro.

A blind drawing will be held at 3 p.m. EST Sunday to determine the Lady Bulldogs’ quarterfinal opponent Wednesday at Middle Tennessee State’s Murphy Center.

Davis scored 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds while Van Rij totaled 13 points and nine rebounds as Bearden won its 15th game in a row.

“We’ve got the best inside tandem in the state and they really showed it tonight,” said Bearden coach Justin Underwood. “They share the ball so well and play off each other so well. It’s almost impossible for teams to guard both of our posts inside.”

On multiple occasions, Davis and Van Rij, both 6-foot-2, set up each other for easy buckets with pinpoint interior passes.

“It’s a huge advantage to have me and Khy in the post,” explained Van Rij. “We have an advantage because we can see over people and see who is open.”

Tytiaira Spikes added six rebounds as Bearden finished with a huge 31-12 advantage on the boards.

Senior guard Trinity Lee supplied the complementary scoring punch from the perimeter with 13 points.

How this time was different

Jefferson County defeated Bearden, 54-45, on Nov. 22. Underwood pointed to defense as the difference this time.

Good looks against Bearden’s change-up zone defenses were hard to come by for the Lady Patriots, who made seven 3-point shots but were only 12 of 40 (30 percent) from the field.

“We played Jefferson County early in the season and they shot lights out,” said Underwood. “I thought our girls’ defense tonight was fantastic. We were just more intense. The girls realize that if they give great effort on defense, it’s very difficult to beat them.”

Ryleigh Fritz hit three triples to pace the young Lady Patriots with 13 points. Makayla Alvey added nine and Cayla Smith six.

Jefferson County finishes its season 22-12.

State preview

Bearden returns to the state tournament for the first time since the 2014-15 season and for just the fourth time in school history.

A stacked field, led by two-time defending state champion Riverdale, awaits the Lady Bulldogs.

The Lady Warriors are 33-1 and ranked No. 5 in the nation by USA Today.

Other teams in the field are Daniel Boone (30-4), Bradley Central (32-0), Mt. Juliet (24-8), Ravenwood (21-11), Arlington (27-7) and Houston (26-5).

“These girls are excited for the challenge,” said Underwood, who is taking his third Bearden team to the state tournament. “They’ve taken everything we’ve thrown at them, and I think they’ll be ready for whoever we see.”

Van Rij said the Lady Bulldogs aren’t just satisfied with getting back to the state tournament.

“Our goal is to be in the championship,” she offered.

Mike Blackerby is a freelance contributor