Kyndall Mays (33) and the Webb School of Knoxville girls’ basketball team defeated Lipscomb Academy, 48-47, in the Division II-AA State Championship at FM Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tenn. (Photo by Carl Edmondson for 5Star Preps).
BY JESSE SMITHEY
CLARKSVILLE — With 8 minutes, 35 seconds remaining in pregame warmups for Saturday’s Division II-AA girls basketball state championship, Webb School of Knoxville sophomore forward Kyndall Mays set up shop on a baseline and burned through jump-rope exercises with each foot as if she were preparing for a 12-round title bout.
And it’s a good thing she did, because that’s just what it turned out to be.
Trailing by 12 points deep into the second half, Webb extracted every ounce of energy it had left to rally and beat Lipscomb Academy, 48-47, at FM Bank Arena on campus at Austin Peay State University.
Webb senior guard Meeyah Green scored the game winner with 6.1 seconds left, conjuring up a steal near midcourt as Lipscomb (26-7) tried to stall and run clock. Green raced to the other end, side stepped a late-arriving defender and made the layup.
“Big focus was getting a stop and getting the ball,” Green said. “I just did whatever my team needed me to. I was in position to get the ball, so I just went with whatever I had and scored.”
The Lady Spartans (25-6) fouled with 3.3 seconds and 1.4 seconds left, respectively, so not to let the Lady Mustangs get into the rhythm of a designed play. Lipscomb had to inbounds near midcourt on its final play and actually inbounded the ball at the free-throw line on far end of the court.
Green blocked that shot anyway, as she stood with her hands straight up in front of Lipscomb star Ava Jarrett.
A Clemson signee and the reigning Miss Basketball in Division II-AA, Green took home tournament MVP honors for a second consecutive year. She scored 17 points.
Webb starters Mays and Ivy Napier joined Green on the all-tournament team.
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Webb lifted its all-time total for girls basketball championships won to seven, repeating for the second time in program history. The Lady Spartans first repeated with their 2014 and 2015 titles.
The Lady Spartans have played in three consecutive state championships under third-year coach Greg Hernandez, claiming the last two.
When Hernandez walked to get his coach’s trophy from TSSAA officials, he took a noticeable sigh of relief … or perhaps exhaustion — maybe both. After watching his team rally from 16 down in Thursday’s semifinal round, Hernandez once again came out on top of another comeback victory.
“Is this the preferable way of how we wanted that game to be played? I mean, no,” Hernandez said. “But, man, I knew — like I said the other day — I look out on the floor and I can see Meeyah Green, I can see Kydnall Mays and I can see Ivy Napier, that we got a chance.
“And they didn’t quit. That’s been our thing all year: just, not to quit.”
On Thursday, Webb had a cold start and had to claw its way back in the second half.
On Saturday, Webb enjoyed an eight-point lead early in the second quarter and led 24-23 at the half.
But when Mays picked up her third foul at the 5:29 mark in the third — with Lipscomb ahead 28-26 — that’s when Webb’s descent commenced. Lipscomb Academy made its next five shots and built a 40-28 lead.
Webb trailed 40-30 after three quarters, cut the deficit to five quickly to begin the fourth but then trailed by nine (44-35) with 5:52 remaining in the contest.
Mays helped flipped the tide after she re-entered. Her three-point play made Lipscomb’s lead 44-40 with 4:21 to go.
A Mary Mac Emery layup and two foul shots by Corisa Lowery knotted the score at 44-all with just more than 2 minutes left.
Lipscomb’s Brooklyn Lowry snapped Webb’s 9-0 run with a timely 3-pointer at the 1:55 mark of the fourth.
Webb missed a 3-pointer on each of its next two possessions, but Mays cleaned up the second miss and got Webb to within a point of the lead.
“I looked at (Mays) during one of those media timeouts, and I said, ‘Kyndall, I need everything that comes off the glass. Go get it,'” Hernandez said. “She did it.
“There’s a reason we call her The Big Dawg. She’s tough. She’s physical. She brings that presence that we need for this team to be successful.”
Ahead 47-46, Lipscomb worked the ball around in the half court for some 15 seasons, until Green poked it loose and gathered it and scored.
A fitting end to her storied career. She’ll find out Tuesday if she repeats as a Miss Basketball winner in Division II.
While Green’s accomplishments merited a spotlight Saturday, what couldn’t be overlooked were the contributions six other Lady Spartans made in the win. Mays finished with 12 points and six rebounds. Lowery’s free throws were huge. Napier produced three steals. Avery Green made a 3 that gave Webb a lead in the first half. Harper Ladd’s 3-pointer kick-started Webb’s efforts in the fourth quarter. And Emery scored seven points off the bench.
“It’s been a total team effort the entire year,” Hernandez said. “The only thing I was worried about there late was: that they weren’t going to have an opportunity to celebrate and finish this year the way they deserved to finish it.
“But, they did what they were supposed to.”