The Grainger Grizzlies eliminated the Carter Hornets 60-45 in a TSSAA Class AA sectional at Jim Williams Gymnasium in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, on Saturday, March 7, 2020. (Photo by Danny Parker)
BY MIKE BLACKERBY
STRAWBERRY PLAINS — There was an unexpected late-season detour, but as many had expected all along, East Tennessee powerhouse Grainger found its way back to the state Class AA girls’ basketball tournament.
The Lady Grizzlies shrugged off their upset home loss to Elizabethton in the region finals with an impressive 60-45 road win over Carter in Saturday’s sectionals.
Grainger (32-3) moves on to next week’s eight-team state tournament in Murfreesboro with the look of a championship contender.
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The Lady Grizz qualified for the state tournament for the fourth time in the last six seasons.
Sometimes lofty expectations weigh heavy.
“Nobody understands how much pressure we’ve been under to get back to state,” said Grainger coach Rusty Bishop.
For Carter (22-11), one of the best seasons in school history came to an end.
“It was a great run,” said Lady Hornets coach Bo Lewis.
“It’s the second sub-state game in 95 years of women’s basketball here. This team worked really hard and went above and beyond expectations.”
Grainger combined balanced offense with great team defense to shut down Carter, which had been on a roll offensively recently.
The Lady Grizz limited the Lady Hornets to 33-percent shooting.
Open looks were hard to come by.
Carter’s trio of outstanding guards – Evie DePetro, Sydney Hurst and Jordan Heifner – combined to make just 6 of 30 field goals.
“Defense was our key,” said Grainger junior point guard Tori Rutherford.
“Bishop (Rusty) always preaches defense.”
5STAR PHOTOS — Grainger at Carter, 2020 Class AA girls sectional
Senior post Abbey Hodge scored 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead the Lady Grizz.
Rutherford contributed 15 points and three steals. Matty Tanner had 12 points and Lauren Longmire nine.
“We played team basketball on both ends of the court,” said Bishop.
“They (Grainger) are just so long and athletic,” said Lewis.
“We had a tough time shooting it with my guard play tonight. We looked like a different team tonight compared to the district tournament.”
Senior forward Zarria Clark shook off an early ankle injury to lead Carter with 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
“Z was 7 for 9 (from the field) and we probably should have gotten her more touches,” said Lewis.
DePetro and Hurst scored 10 points each while Heifner had six.
Carter enjoyed its biggest lead early at 9-4, but Grainger went on a 10-1 run to take the lead for good.
The Lady Grizz led 22-16 at the half.
Hodge hit two 3-pointers and scored eight points in the third quarter as Grainger pulled away.
Hodge is one of the best long-range shooters among area post players.
“We talked about it in practice,” she explained.
“Other teams’ posts don’t necessarily guard me at the 3-point line because they don’t see me as a threat. My team did a great job of getting me the ball.”
Grainger led 42-30 after three quarters and Carter could never get it down to single digits the rest of the way.
Lewis said it was a year that won’t soon be forgotten.
His girls will likely be remembered as Strawberry Plains legends.
The only other time Carter’s girls played in a sectional was in 2001.
“They had a wonderful year,” he said.
“Nobody expected them to be here. The culture we’ve created the last five years is something to be proud of.”
Grainger, which lost to eventual state champion Cheatham County in last year’s state quarterfinals, appears to have a different mindset as it heads to Murfreesboro.
“This year feels totally different than last year,” said Hodge.
“We definitely want to go further than we did last year.”
Rutherford, never at a loss for words, said the difference in last year and this year heading to Murfreesboro is stark.
“Last year we were definitely just happy to get there,” said Rutherford.
“This year we’re in it to win it.”
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