After the first eight minutes of Monday’s Region 2-2A semifinal, Tellico Plains found itself in a hole that was going to be too deep to climb out of.
Meigs County stormed in front by 16 points after the first quarter en route to a 60-46 win in Englewood.
Meigs County (22-9) knocked down nine of its 13 field goal attempts in the first quarter, including three triples. The Lady Tigers led 21-5 after the opening period.
“Meigs has not shot it that well all season, but if it is going to happen then it is going to happen against us. Obviously, we put ourselves in a hole and we had to claw our way out of it,” Tellico Plains coach Brooke Evans said.
The District 3-2A tunner-up shot almost 40% on the night, including nine 3-pointers.
Tellico Plains (19-11) shot 20% in the first period, finding only two field goals from Riley Maney and Taylor Rose.
“We got some shots, but we did not get near as many shots as we needed nor the shots we were looking for,” Evans added. “We just did not settle in until the second half.”
Delilah Reed led the Lady Bears with 12 points, followed by 10 from Maney. Tellico shot 19 for 57 (33%) on the night. Maney hit four field goals in the second half.
“They are tough and they put a lot of pressure on you. They typically always play with a lot of handchecks. Our girls have to be tougher, stronger and able to go through the pressure,” Evans said.
Meigs failed to match its production from the first quarter throughout the night. The Lady Bears returned to their base defense but struggled to find enough rhythm to get back into the contest.
“We felt like changing our defense slightly could help us, but we just did not adjust well. We went back to our normal and decided to play, it put us back in a groove,” Evans said. “I will take the blame for that. We probably should have adjusted sooner, but you have to do what you try to do to win.”
Tellico debutant and transfer Dana Harmon finished with eight points. Harmon has been practicing with the varsity all season, waiting for her clearance to play.
Harmon hit two 3-pointers in the second period.
“We knew at some point she could come in and help us. Offensively, Dana did great, but she also knows she has some work to do on defense,” Evans said. “That is her big challenge for next season.”
The Lady Bears have had an interchangeable starting five all season but opted for Haley Cooper, Kate Hicks, Maney, Jonna Moses and Reed for the semifinal. Three of those five return for next season.
Tellico returns six of the nine players that appeared on the court Monday.
“We have a lot of returning players that are amazing. They know what we expect and we are also going to add a great group of freshmen coming in,” Evans said. “I am excited to see the mix that we are going to be able to create next year.”
Tellico graduates Cooper, Maney and Hannah Dalton.
“Every one of them has different qualities that we are going to miss,” Evans said. “Haley is tough as nails and gets after it. We are going to miss her grit. Hannah is an unbelievable teammate, she is always smiling and I am always thankful she is able to overcome obstacles in her life.
“Riley is somebody that we always look to. On the court or off the court, Riley is someone that you can look to to be a positive light. I am thankful for this group of seniors.”
Tellico improved on last season’s win total by nine and matched the amount from 2021-22, the last time the program reached the region semifinals.
This senior class was a part of the Lady Bears team that won the District 4-A championship and reached the Class A sectional in 2020-21.
“What I am most proud of with this entire team is that they love the game of basketball but they love Jesus Christ more than anything. That is the thing that they left on,” Evans said. “Basketball is so important to them, but they are thankful that this team, these girls and our coaches always point them in the right direction.”
Most Popular
Comments / 0