Maryville wins Region 2-AAA girls’ basketball championship. (Photo: Maryville HS/Twitter)
Denae Fritz remembers the long road trip for last year’s Class AAA state sectional game against Science Hill in Johnson City.
And she hasn’t forgotten the long trip back after a three-point loss.
Fritz won’t have to worry about hitting the road for the sectionals this year, nor will her teammates on the Maryville girls’ basketball team.
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The junior guard/forward scored nine of her 17 points in the fourth quarter Wednesday night as the Lady Rebels notched a 61-45 victory over host Bearden for the Region 2-AAA championship and home-court advantage in the sectionals on Saturday at 7 p.m.
“It’s huge cause now we get to have a home crowd and hope people show up for this game like they usually do,” said Fritz, the region tournament MVP. “There hasn’t been (a sectional) I think since 2012 at our place. Going on the road is a lot tougher than playing at home.”
Maryville (29-4) will play host to Daniel Boone (20-12) in the sectional round for a berth in the state tournament, while Bearden (29-3) will travel to play Science Hill (27-7).
The Lady Rebels are seeking the program’s first state tournament berth since 1999. Maryville lost its home sectional in 2012 to Morristown East, 70-64.
“We want to get there (to state), and if we get down there, I like our chances, but Daniel Boone is a good basketball team,” Maryville coach Scott West said. “They’ve got some really good players, so we’re going to have to come out and we’re going to have to find a way. This team has no fear, they’re going to be focused.”
Science Hill beat Daniel Boone 70-38 Wednesday night for the Region 1-AAA championship, extending its winning streak to 16 games.
Bearden beat Science Hill 59-43 on Nov. 29 in the Heritage Thanksgiving Tournament.
“They’ve gotten a lot better since then,” Bearden coach Justin Underwood said of Science Hill. “They’ve been on a roll of late, and we’re a little bit different at this point of the year as well. One game, a sectional, 32 minutes, it should be a good ballgame.”
Maryville got balanced scoring in the region final.
Junior guard Aaliyah Vananda had 15 points and junior guard Gracie Midkiff and senior post Jazz Ervin scored 12 each for the Lady Rebels. Senior point guard Katie Cunningham rounded out Maryville’s scoring with five points.
Maryville was 8 of 22 from 3-point range. Midkiff had four 3-pointers, Vananda three, and Fritz one. Bearden was 2 of 7 from 3-point range.
“Our target was seven (3s), and if make seven 3s, we’re going to win,” West said. “That was the difference in the basketball game, and the rebounding. We kept them off the glass and we shared the ball. I thought that was a big thing.”
Maryville’s senior class won its 100th career game with Wednesday’s victory over Bearden.
“This group of seniors is so special,” West said. “Tonight was their 100th win as a class. That’s never happened in girls basketball here at Maryville High School.”
Junior point guard Zneyah McLaughlin led Bearden in scoring with 15 points, while senior wing Jah’niya Bussell scored 13 and senior post Jakhyia Davis had 10.
The Lady Rebels are 2-2 against Bearden this season. They split two games during the regular season and Bearden posted a 41-34 win in last week’s District 4-AAA championship.
“Here’s what I’d love to have: Round 5,” West said of a potential matchup against Bearden at state. “Let’s go Round 5. Both of us have to take care of business on Saturday.”
Maryville had a 10-3 lead after Ervin’s two free throws in the first quarter, but Maryville finished the quarter with a 9-0 run for a 12-10 lead.
Bearden opened the second quarter with a 11-2 run, taking a 23-12 lead on Bussell’s layup with 4 minutes, 30 seconds left in the half.
Maryville then went on a 15-2 run for a 27-25 halftime lead, sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers by Vananda followed by Midkiff’s 3-pointer.
“I think that really changed the momentum and we never really let them get a flow going offensively,” West said. “I thought defensively we were really, really good.”
Maryville had a 39-34 lead after three quarters, and Bearden got within 44-41 on Emma Stone’s 3-pointer with 4:25 left to play.
The Lady Rebels finished with a 17-4 run.
“They were extremely offensively efficient on us,” Underwood said. “We kind of got out of what’s our strengths and what we normally would do, and then we kind of had that deer in the headlights look. We’re very fortunate that it wasn’t an elimination game tonight, but Maryville was the better team, they were well prepared, and they came out and executed their game plan to a tee.”