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Avery Treadwell sure isn’t playing like a freshman.

More like a seasoned veteran.

Bearden’s 6-foot-2 post player scored eight of her team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter Monday night as host Bearden beat rival Farragut 58-42 in the Region 2-AAA elimination semifinals.

She also recorded 10 rebounds.

A year ago, Treadwell was an eighth-grader playing at West Valley Middle School. 

“It’s a big difference from middle school, but it’s a lot of fun,” Treadwell said. “It’s fun having challenges and stuff to overcome.”

Bearden (29-2) will play host to Maryville (28-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for the Region 2-AAA championship. The region winner will be host to a state sectional game on Saturday, while the region runner-up will travel for the sectional game. Sectional winners advance to the state tournament.

Bearden and Maryville split two games during the regular season, and the Lady Bulldogs posted a 41-34 victory over the Lady Rebels in the District 4-AAA championship last week.

“It’s one of those situations where (Maryville’s) got some really good players as well and they’re well coached,” Bearden coach Justin Underwood said. “We’re going to get to work (Tuesday) and get ready for them and get another (game) here on our home court, thankfully.”

Bearden is 3-0 this season against Farragut, which finishes 23-10.

“Jason (Mayfield, Farragut coach) does a great job,” Underwood said. “They’ve got shooters, they’ve got kids who are going to play college basketball. To be able to beat a Farragut team three times, we knew it was going to be difficult. I couldn’t be more proud of our kids. We had to defend and we really put it together in that fourth quarter.”

Junior point guard Zneyah McLaughlin had 16 points for Bearden on Monday, while sophomore guard Emily Gonzalez and senior post Jakhyia Davis scored eight each. Davis has signed with East Tennessee State University and had 10 rebounds Monday.

Treadwell was 8 of 8 from the field, scoring all her points on follow shots or layups. She was 1 of 2 from the foul line. She scored 12 in the second half.

“(Treadwell’s) really come together the last couple of weeks and really had some big games for us,” Underwood said. “Everybody puts so much attention on Jakhyia, so having that second (post) really gives us a chance to do some things inside, and I was really proud of our guards in the second half for getting their heads up and seeing (Treadwell) down low when we had some open looks down there.”

Treadwell doesn’t start but plays starter’s minutes. And she’s gotten used to big-game situations.

“I just go into it like any other game because at this point, I’ve been playing a decent amount all games,” Treadwell said. “I’m just kind of used to being in the role that I am.”

Sophomore guard Avery Strickland led Farragut in scoring with 15 points – making 7 of 8 free throws and two 3-pointers – while senior wing Claire Wyatt added 10 points. Strickland was held to three points in the second half.

The Lady Admirals took a 10-3 lead in the first quarter on two free throws by Strickland and had a 15-9 lead after one quarter.

Bearden outscored Farragut 18-8 in the second quarter for a 27-23 halftime lead.

The Lady Bulldogs stretched the lead to 41-31 on Treadwell’s follow shot late in the third quarter. Wyatt’s 3-pointer with 4 seconds left cut the deficit to 41-34 after three quarters.

Farragut made 1 of 20 two-point shots in the second and third quarters combined while making 3 of 7 shots from 3-point range.

The Lady Admirals got within six on two occasions in the fourth quarter, the second time at 45-39 after McCall Willis’ follow shot with 5 minutes, 22 seconds left to play.

Bearden finished the game with a 13-3 run as Farragut went 2 of 9 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter and 5 of 19 for the game.

“(Farragut) came out from the opening tip and punched us pretty early in that first quarter,” Underwood said. “We kept telling our kids to weather the storm, it’s a four-quarter game. I was proud of them. We gave up 15 (points) the first quarter and then we only gave up 27 the rest of the game.”

MARYVILLE SURVIVES OAK RIDGE RALLY

Maryville junior guard Aaliyah Vananda was clutch in the closing seconds Monday night.

Vananda caused a turnover with 11.3 seconds left, sank two free throws with 8.9 seconds to play, and helped the Lady Rebels to a 71-67 victory over Oak Ridge in the first Region 2-AAA elimination semifinal at Bearden.

Maryville (28-4) had a 16-point lead in the third quarter and led by 11 with 5:26 to play against Oak Ridge (28-7).

“They sped us up and we turned it over a few times and they converted,” Maryville coach Scott West said. “That’s what good teams are going to do to you. They’ve done it to a lot of different teams. Fortunately for us, we had just enough.”

Junior guard Denae Fritz led Maryville in scoring with 28 points, about five above her average. She made three 3-pointers and was 5 of 9 from the foul line.

Vananda added 11 points and junior guard Gracie Midkiff and senior post Jazz Ervin scored 10 each.

Ervin, who had eight points in the first half, was 5 of 7 from the field for the game.

“Jazz came off the bench and did a fantastic job,” West said. “We just had a lot of good bench play tonight. I thought our bench was the difference in the game, and obviously having Denae Fritz doesn’t hurt.

Oak Ridge was led in scoring by junior guard Khamari Mitchell-Steen with 22 points, senior guard Taliah Davis with 20, and senior guard Bri Dunbar with 10.

The Lady Wildcats beat Maryville 53-50 in last year’s region championship. Oak Ridge advanced to the state semifinals last year while Maryville lost at Johnson City’s Science Hill by three points in the state sectionals.

“It was tough,” West said of Monday’s game. “Oak Ridge is a very good basketball team. Mitchell-Steen and Bri Dunbar are really good and I told the guys earlier, Paige Redman (Oak Ridge coach) in my opinion is the best coach in the area because of year in and year out what she gets out of her team.”

Maryville looked like it might coast into the region final until the closing minutes of the game.

The Lady Rebels had a 21-10 lead after one quarter and a 39-27 lead at halftime. Their biggest lead was 49-33 with 4:30 left in the third after Vananda’s 3-pointer.

Mitchell-Steen made two free throws with 52.8 seconds left, cutting the deficit to 69-67.

After a missed shot by Fritz, Oak Ridge committed a turnover with 32 seconds left and a chance to tie or go ahead.

Maryville was called for a 5-second inbound violation, and Oak Ridge got the ball again.

Oak Ridge’s Semaj Clark missed the potential tying shot from 10 feet with 20 seconds left, and Fritz got the rebound and was fouled.

Fritz missed both double-bonus free throws, and Oak Ridge got possession and called timeout with 14.4 seconds left.

The Lady Wildcats got the ball inbounded, but Vananda and Dunbar got tied up vying for the ball, and the possession arrow went Maryville’s way.

“I knew they were going to screen for Bri (Dunbar), so I knew I had to get over every screen,” Vananda said. “I just saw the ball and grabbed it and held onto it.”

After the inbound pass, Vananda was fouled and calmly sank both double-bonus shots for a 71-67 lead. She blocked out the crowd noise when she went to the line.

“I didn’t really hear anybody,” Vananda said. “I know it sounds cliché, but when I went up there, I didn’t hear anybody.”