Westview basketball repeats as TSSAA girls Class 2A state champion

MURFREESBORO − Jada Harrison dribbled out the clock and chucked the ball up in the air as high as she could Saturday night.

It was time for Westview girls basketball to start celebrating.

Harrison and the Lady Chargers beat McMinn Central 56-37 at Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center in the Class 2A final for their second straight state championship. Westview (33-1) is 65-3 over the past two seasons.

"I think we're all on cloud nine," said Westview senior Mary Anna Chester, a Class 2A all-tournament team member. "It's the best feeling ever. I'm never a crier. All of my friends have probably seen me cry once in my life and I was in tears out there because it's such a surreal feeling to do it with your friends.

"We've played ball since we were ... how old? Even on those rec teams where our parents were coaching us and putting those fundamentals in place. To finish it off is something really special that I will never forget with those girls."

The win capped a day where three West Tennessee schools won high school girls basketball state championships for the first time since 1996. McKenzie repeated as the Class 1A champions and Jackson South Side won the program's first Class 3A title. In 1996, Braford won the Class A tournament, Westview won in Class AA and Jackson Central-Merry won Class AAA.

Harrison, an Middle Tennessee State signee and Miss Basketball finalist, finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. She was named state tournament MVP for the second consecutive season.

"All of the hard work that we put in, it just poured into this gold ball right here," Harrison said. "All the long hours of practice, we put in what, four hours a day starting out. We spent a lot of time together."

MCKENZIE, SAVANNAH DAVIS REPEAT:How MTSU basketball commitment Savannah Davis ignited another McKenzie state championship

SOUTH SIDE WINS FIRST TITLE:South Side girls basketball finishes perfect season with first TSSAA state championship

Karina Bystry led McMinn Central (28-8) with 15 points. Molly Masingale added eight.

McCall Simms also scored 17 points for Westview. And Jillian Brigance scored three points on 1-of-1 shooting, but finished with a state record 91.7% shooting percentage for the tournament, going 11-of-12 from the field combined in Westview's three wins.

Ironically, the player's record she beat was also at MTSU for the game. Mary Thomison shot 13-of-16 (81.2%) from the field in Marshall County's 1980 Class AA state championship. She had flown in from South Dakota for Saturday's championship game because the team was honored at halftime by the TSSAA for being the first AA state champion playing 5-on-5 full court in Tennessee.

"That's awesome," Brigance said of the state record. "I had no idea until they announced it. It's so cool (she was here). I'm glad she could come and watch."

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