History made! Cheatham County girls win first state championship in school's 49-year history

MURFREESBORO — How do you celebrate winning the first TSSAA state championship in school history?

For Cheatham County it included smiles, tears and plans for a meal.

Cheatham County beat Westview 43-40 Saturday at Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center in the TSSAA Class AA girls basketball state championship game. It marked the first TSSAA team state title for Cheatham County since the school opened in 1970 as well as first team title for any school in the county.

"We cry because it's over," said Abbi Douglas, a senior and Class AA state tournament MVP.

"I kind of want to go eat," added her sister Alli Douglas, a junior.

And so it went for the newly crowned state champions.

History was made. Celebrating may wait until after lunch.

The Lady Cubs (31-3) showed grit to win this one. They shot 33.3 percent from the field and trailed 34-29 with 7:33 left after Westview's Zanasha Gadlen hit her second 3-pointer.

But Cheatham County fought back. Abbi Douglas trimmed the deficit to 38-37 with a layup. And then Jorden Bumpus buried a 3-pointer for her lone points of the game to give the Lady Cubs a 40-38 lead with 2:22 left

Following two Gadlen free throws, Eryn Nelson hit a jumper to take a 42-40 lead. Then proceeded to miss five straight free throws in the final 24 seconds before Alli Douglas hit one with five seconds left to finish off Westview, which didn't get a shot off before the horn.

"I don't think we played too hot," Abbi Douglas said. "I just think we really wanted it. Whenever we had the opportunity to get the ball we realized this could be it.

"So we gave more effort."

Cheatham County's state title caps a phenomenal four-year run where the Lady Cubs went 108-17. They are 59-5 over the past two years with two state tournament appearances.

"It's a pretty big deal," Abbi Douglas said. "We're all pretty upset, but at least we went out on top. I'm really proud to be the first from our county to do this."

The Lady Cubs put it together the past two years with three sets of sisters, which also include Emmy and Eryn Nelson and Jorden and Jesse Bumpus.

"Sisters by chance, friends by choice," said Emmy Nelson as three of her teammates began laughing in the media room after the game.

"It's never a dull moment with this bunch. I will tell you that," Cheatham County coach Jim Gibbs said. 

The team lifted Eryn Nelson after receiving the gold ball trophy, which has become a ritual this season when the team won a postseason award.

"I think it's pretty cool," Eryn Nelson said. "I thought it was pretty fun. I thought I was going to drop it. They made sure I knew not to drop it."

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Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.