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By JESSE SMITHEY
Two teams did it at home. The other got it done on the road.
Regardless of where the outcome occurred, the boys basketball teams at Oak Ridge, Maryville and Oneida earned Division I state tournament berths Monday night.
Oak Ridge and Maryville secured spots in the Class AAA state tournament, which begins Wednesday, March 18, at Middle Tennessee State’s Murphy Center in Murfreesboro.
Oneida will play in the Class A state tournament, which begins Thursday, March 19 at the Murphy Center.
The three teams will learn their first-round opponents on Tuesday during the TSSAA’s state tournament draw.
For Oak Ridge, this will be their 23rd overall appearance in the state tournament and the first since 2017. They reached the state quarterfinals by winning at Science Hill with ease Monday, 84-66.
#Statebound #RWR pic.twitter.com/2mOKURyfTP
— ORHS Wildcat Bball (@ORBoysBball) March 10, 2020
The Wildcats (27-5) built a 44-34 lead at the break and saw it grow to 21 (64-43) on a score by Jeremy Miller (21 points) at the end of the third.
Isiah Johnson led Oak Ridge with 22 points. Jonathan Milloway scored 17, and Johnathan Stewart added 13 against the Hilltoppers (32-4).
Oak Ridge finished runner-up in 2014 and won state titles in 1961 and 1963.
“It’s definitely one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt in my life,” said Miller about Monday’s win. “It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. And to see all the work our team has put in to get there makes the feeling 10 times better.”
Since Maryville beat Oak Ridge in the Region 2-AAA finale, the Rebels got to host their Class AAA state sectional Monday. But that didn’t save them from trailing Dobyns-Bennett by eight points midway through the fourth quarter.
Maryville was looking to make its sixth state-tournament appearance in program history and first since 2015.
And they will get to do that thanks to a 12-2 run down the stretch for the 61-55 win.
A.J. Davis’ 3-pointer with just more than 1 minute to play put Maryville ahead, 56-55, for good. Davis had 16 points.
Joe Anderson, a Class AAA Mr. Basketball finalist who led Maryville with 20 points, made two foul shots with 8 seconds to go to seal it.
Maryville is chasing its first state title since 2007.
Joe Anderson (22) of the Maryville Rebels. (Photo by Danny Parker)
“Being down eight or nine with 4 minutes left, I just prayed and I felt God talking to me and telling me He’s got me. And I got calm, and I just realized I got a bunch of fighters on my team. And I knew they had me,” said Anderson.
“I’m very grateful to get to go to state. It’s awesome to see our team’s hard work get to pay off, but we aren’t done yet.”
Meanwhile, Oneida ended a serious state-tournament drought Monday night.
The Tennessee football program was one of the nation’s best when the Indians last reached the field.
We’re talking 1998.
Oneida (28-7) won its 15th consecutive game Monday night, ousting University School of Johnson City by a 78-68 count.
Nate Bowling, Kolby Morgan and Dalton Yancey did the damage.
Bowling pumped in 31 points, Morgan added 24 and Yancey carded a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards, according to the Independent Herald.
Morgan scored his 1,00oth career point.
Oneida led by 15 after three quarters. University got as close as four points in the fourth, but the Indians coasted in the game’s final minutes.
“It’s amazing. We have worked so hard to get here,” said Morgan. “After we lost the substate game last year, we hung up a picture in the locker room the next day of MTSU’s court. And that’s all we have been thinking about since then.
“I love playing with this team, and I wouldn’t want to play with anyone else.”