Pat Summitt's great nieces help Cheatham County girls reach state semifinals

MURFREESBORO — It's safe to say Cheatham County girls basketball players Abbi  and Alli Douglas had a good role model growing up.

The sisters are great nieces to legendary Tennessee Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, who died in June 2016 after a battle with Alzheimer's.

The Douglas sisters helped the Lady Cubs defeat Grainger 49-41 in the Class AA state quarterfinals Wednesday at MTSU's Murphy Center. Cheatham County (29-3) will play Macon County in the state semifinals at 10 a.m. Friday.

"I think she would have been proud (of the performance) today," said junior Alli Douglas, who scored four points and led the team with nine rebounds. "I think she would have told us some things we needed to improve on, but she would have been proud."

The sisters grew up attending Summitt's basketball camps and both had a good relationship with the longtime Tennessee coach, who went to 18 Final Four appearances and won eight national titles at UT.

"She was so kind," said Abbi Douglas, a senior who scored 12 points and dished out four assists in Wednesday's win. "We would go up for camps and she would always have a full house and a room full of bunk beds. Every time we went, she would make everyone feel like they were special.

"We learned a lot, fundamentally, from those camps. But we didn't just learn from her, it was the whole family."

The Douglas sisters said it was tough staying close to Summitt growing up, with them living in Ashland City and her in Knoxville. Their mother, Tracy Head Douglas, is Summitt's niece.

"But every time we saw her, we didn't miss a beat," Abbi Douglas said. 

The two also attended most Lady Vols home games and NCAA Tournaments as well.

"I remember me and Abbi would wear cheerleading costumes and high-five all the players when they would come out," said Alli Douglas. "We went to almost all the games and we would go to the Final Four when she got there and stay the whole time. It was always fun."

Cheatham County led throughout the first half, carrying a 23-17 lead into the third. Grainger (30-7) came back to take a 34-33 lead, thanks to a late third-quarter run.

The game remained close until the closing minute when the Lady Cubs went on a 6-0 run to pull away.

Emmy Nelson scored 14 points and Jorden Bumpus 10 for Cheatham County. Abbey Hodge led Grainger with 12.

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