Kinley Loveday (20) and the Sevier County Bearettes faced Bartlett in a TSSAA Class 4A state tournament quarterfinal at Murphy Center on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Bartlett girls won 54-42. (Photo by Danny Parker)
BY JESSE SMITHEY
MURFREESBORO — Kinley Loveday, the senior point guard at Sevier County, fanned her face in order to fight back the tears beginning to rush forth with 28.5 seconds left to go in Wednesday’s state quarterfinal against Bartlett.
The Sevier County Bearettes had just challenged the team they lost to by a wide margin in the 2023 state tournament for four quarters this time around, but Loveday couldn’t help to, in that moment, meet the realization that her high school career was about to wrap up.
A few of her teammates had already checked out, mostly due to foul trouble in the final minutes of the fourth. So as she peaked over her right shoulder, she saw the reserves squatting in front of the scorer’s table at MTSU’s Murphy Center, ready to check her out, as well.
That buzzer eventually sounded for the subs to enter, and Loveday’s emotions released.
“We’ve been playing (together) since Junior League and going against each other since Junior League,” Loveday said. “So it’s been 10 years of playing with and against that was coming to an end.
“So it was kind of sad.”
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Bartlett pulled away from Sevier County late to win, 54-42, and move on to Friday’s Class 4A state semifinals against Cleveland (24-9).
But don’t let the final score fool you.
Loveday and the Bearettes (31-4) were determined to not get routed like they did a year ago to Bartlett in that 57-37 decision.
This time, Sevier County led 23-21 at the half, having forced Bartlett (29-10) into 10 first-quarter turnovers and 13 for the first 16 minutes. It also out rebounded a taller and more athletic Bartlett team, 13-10, through two quarters.
“A lot better. A lot more under control,” Bartlett coach Wesley Shappley said about Sevier County. “Last year, I think we startled them with the size, with the speed, with the pressure.
“This year, they were definitely much more prepared for that. They did a good job scouting us. They did a good job taking a lot of things away that we have gotten throughout the year. Very good ball team. They play hard.”
The Bearettes had extra motivation, too.
Sevier County players learned on Monday they would be without head coach Jonathan Shultz (illness), who had also missed time due to health concerns in the previous stages of the postseason.
Assistant coach Beth Ownby worked the sidelines for Sevier County. Shultz tried his best to encourage the players from afar.
He did not travel with the team.
“He texted us last night,” junior guard Cybil Penland added. “He sent (one to) our team that just said he was proud of us. And he knew that we had it in us to win.
“He had us prepared for this. … But, yeah, he texted us last night and gave us some encouraging words and just let us know how much he loves us.”
Though Sevier County came out as the early aggressor, you couldn’t help but notice Bartlett passed the eye test from the onset.
Bartlett’s overall record isn’t indicative of its ability level.
Eight of the Lady Panthers’ 10 losses came to out-of-state teams, and they notched wins over Catholic and Webb School of Knoxville during the regular season. Catholic and Webb just played each other this past weekend in the Division II-AA State Championship.
So you knew Bartlett would make a run at Sevier County and they did.
Bartlett made 14 of 27 field goals (52 percent) in the second half, forced nine more Sevier County turnovers and wound up winning the rebounding margin, 32-27.
Sevier County trailed just 34-32 to start the fourth and Penland knotted up the score with an early layup in the quarter. But she fouled out with 3:16 remaining, and Bartlett pushed the lead to seven points just two seconds later.
Aubree Laney’s 3 from the corner/wing temporarily cut Bartlett’s lead to 45-41 with 2:41 to go.
The Lady Panthers closed on a 9-1 run. Sevier County missed its final five shots, finishing with a 29.2 shooting percentage.
Kinley Loveday led Sevier County in scoring with 11. Laney and Penland each had nine.
“We’ve had some adversity. But I’m very proud of the girls, the way they’ve met that adversity head on,” Ownby said. “Coach Shultz wasn’t with us in the semis of the region, and they just came out and played hard.
“Today, I thought they played hard until that final second — played hard and did not give up. I just felt like today was a day where the shots didn’t fall.”