TSSAA Div. 1 state championship previews

from CommercialAppeal.com

Today-Saturday at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro

CLASS AA

Manassas (27-8) vs Macon County (28-3), 4 p.m. today: The Tigers have done a great job reaching the BlueCross state tournament for the first time in school history, but coach Tommy Warren will make sure his team isn't happy to just be there. Manassas has been playing its best basketball at just the right time, and the Tigers have a good shot at bringing the AA title back to Memphis for the first time since Hillcrest claimed the gold ball in 2006. Tiffany Jones, a 6-foot sophomore, led the team in scoring during the regular season (13.3 ppg) while 5-8 senior Victoria White averaged 8.6. Junior Jamille Reed (5-10) and senior Naudia Crisp (5-8) are other key contributors. Warren substitutes early and often and the Tigers like to pressure their opponents from the opening tip. Macon County beat Waverly Central, 41-38, on a 3-pointer at the buzzer in a sub-state matchup last Saturday.


CLASS AAA

Overton (29-6) vs. Wilson Central (26-5), 2:30 p.m. Thursday: The Wolverines are making their third straight trip to the state tournament. And with such a veteran group, you can pencil in coach Lynn Smith's squad as a serious contender. Overton has good size inside, where 6-foot junior Cortrice Golden (11.0 ppg) and 6-1 junior Briana Neal patrol the paint. Cornelia Fondren, a 5-9 junior, led the Wolverines in scoring (12.5 ppg) while 5-8 junior Jasmine Stafford chips in with 8 points per game. Philecia Atkins, a 5-4 freshman, is a very dependable 3-point shooter, while 5-3 senior Kenesha Jackson offers a steady hand and good leadership. Forward Taylor Peterson scored 23 points as Wilson Central defeated Hunter's Lane, 52-43 in the sectional, while Iesha Hassell shoots 61 percent from the floor for the Wildcats.

Central (26-9) vs. Murfreesboro Blackman (24-6), 5:30 p.m. Thursday: It would be hard to imagine a team going through more adversity over the course of a season than the Lady Warriors. In December, while Central was in Phoenix for a tournament, a Central student who was friends with several of the players was shot and killed. Then last week, former Warriors standout Tina Stewart was stabbed to death with her roommate at Middle Tennessee State being charged. Focusing on basketball under such circumstances is obviously very trying, but Niki Bray's squad will do its best as it tries to bring home Shelby-Metro's first AAA girls title since Melrose in 1985. On paper, the Warriors are as talented as any team in the field; 5-10 junior Aaliyah Whiteside led the team in scoring with 13.6 ppg, with 5-9 sophomore Nina Davis right behind (13.4). Danielle Ballard, a 5-8 junior, orchestrates the offense while averaging 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 4.5 steals per game. If Central can get good production from someone else -- Tia Wooten (7.9 ppg) or Jalen O'Bannon perhaps -- it will be very tough to beat.

All state tournament games will be streamed live on tssaa.org. Saturday's championship games will be on WKNO-TV Channel 10.