The Cocke County Lady Red defeated the Heritage Lady Mountaineers, 55-53. in a TSSAA Class 3A state tournament quarterfinal at Murphy Center on Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Parker)
BY JESSE SMITHEY
MURFREESBORO — Karmine Carmichael, the freshman standout from Cocke County High School, isn’t known as a keen free-throw shooter. At least, not at this point in her prep career.
Entering Thursday’s Class 3A state quarterfinal against Heritage, the 6-foot-1 forward was shooting just 54 percent from the line.
She made them when it mattered most, though.
Carmichael went 3 of 4 in the final 18 seconds to give Cocke County a 55-53 late in the fourth, and Heritage star Carsyn Swaney’s bankshot at the buzzer just rimmed out to send the Lady Red on to Friday’s state semifinals at MTSU’s Murphy Center.
“I just didn’t think about nothing,” said Carmichael. “I just shot it.”
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Down by a 17-3 deficit in the first quarter, Cocke County (29-8) rallied like mad and won its first state tournament game since 1958.
Yep, 1958.
Thursday marked their first state appearance since 1988; nevertheless, Cocke County will play at 7:15 p.m. Friday against Dyersburg (29-4) for a chance to play in a state title game Saturday.
Carmichael leads the team in scoring and rebounding this season. She finished Thursday’s game against Heritage with 13 points, eight rebounds and five steals. She was just 3 of 7 from the free-throw line. Cocke County, as a team, was just 18 of 30 for a 60-percent clip.
Heritage (30-4) reached the state tournament for the first time since 2000.
In a game with 10 lead changes — most of which came in the fourth quarter — Heritage led for 23 minutes and 30 seconds of the 32-minute contest. And, the Lady Mountaineers were 10 of 11 at the free-throw line in the final eight minutes.
Their last shot just didn’t fall. Swaney drove in from just right of the lane and lofted up a shot off the glass from about 8 feet out.
“I thought it was going to go in or I thought I was going to get the foul call,” said Swaney who finished with 21 points.
“(Coach) said I would make that (shot) nine times out of 10. He has confidence in me.”
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HOW COCKE COUNTY RALLIED
After trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half, Cocke County finally pulled even with Heritage at the 5:03 mark of the third, as Blake Clevenger slashed into the lane and got fouled. She made both shots to knot the score at 28-all.
Cocke County nabbed its first lead (30-28) of the contest just 44 seconds later on a layup by senior guard Halle Kitchen.
Clevenger’s corner 3 gave Cocke County a 34-32 lead with 2:49 left in the third. She led Cocke County in scoring with 16.
Heritage responded, though, with a 7-0 run. And Chloe Heath’s 3 from the left wing with 1:14 left in the third put the Lady Mountaineers back in front 39-36.
Four made free throws by Clevenger in the final 48 seconds gave Cocke County a 40-39 lead with one quarter to play. She was 7 of 7 at the free-throw line Thursday.
With Heritage leading 41-40 with 6:37 to play, Heath was whistled for a charge on a drive to the hoop — her fourth foul. She had been Heritage’s most consistent scorer to that point with 19 points (3 of 4 from 3).
Heath checked back in with 3:50 remaining, Heritage clinging to a 44-43 lead.
Cocke County just never seemed to run out of gas.
Abby Niethammer drove baseline and scored with 3:18 to play, converting a 3-point play for a 46-44 lead.
Carmichael scored off an inbounds pass to give Cocke County a 48-46 lead with 1:37 remaining.
After Swaney made two free throws to tie, Cocke County guard Shakyra Reed made a wild left-handed layup to go back in front, 50-48, at the 1:16 mark of the fourth.
Swaney made two more foul shots 14 seconds later to make it 50-all.
And her three-point play with 34.2 to go gave Heritage an emotional boost and 53-51 advantage.
Carmichael, though, wound up on the free-throw line with 18 seconds left and made both to tie the game, like she was some senior all-stater.
After Heritage’s turnover on the opposite end, Carmichael was sent to the line again and made 1 of 2 with seven seconds left.
“Our free-throw shooting hasn’t been the best this year,” Cocke County coach Boddie Bible said. “But we have worked on it. I think Karmine, I think that helps her sometimes. We talk about routine.
“There’s no moment too big for her.”
FIRST HALF
Heritage nearly ran Cocke County out of the Murphy Center in the first quarter, as two jumpers from Swaney sparked a 13-0 run and 17-3 lead by the 2:50 mark. Heath hit a 3 during the run, but Faith Morris’ two corner 3s really fanned the flame.
Cocke County settled in, though, thanks to a 7-0 spurt to close the quarter. It trailed just 17-10, thanks to five points from sophomore guard Clevenger.
Kitchen hit a 3 and had a transition layup midway through the second quarter to trim Heritage’s lead to 23-20.
Cocke County might have caught up to Heritage before the break but struggled at the free-throw line. Kitchen failed to convert a three-point-play opportunity there, as did Carmichael.
The Lady Red went 3 of 9 at the foul line in the first 16 minutes, had nine turnovers, and shot just 33.3 percent from the floor in that span.
Heritage led just 28-23 heading into the second half.
“We talked before the game: we knew the team that started the best would have a really good chance (to win). Unfortunately, that wasn’t us,” Bible said. “But we took that timeout (in the first quarter) and said, ‘Let’s claw back as hard as we can.’
“And I’ve said it all year. I’ve got the toughest team in the state.”
5STAR PHOTOS powered by SmartBank: Cocke County vs. Heritage (2024 Class 3A Quarterfinals)