Loretto takes first step in winning first girls basketball title since 1958

MURFREESBORO — Ashley Rutledge glanced at Loretto's trophy case Thursday prior to leaving for MTSU's Murphy Center and the TSSAA Class A girls basketball state tournament.

The Loretto girls basketball coach looked for the Lady Mustangs' 1958 state championship trophy — the lone one the program has won.

The Lady Mustangs took their first step to bringing a gold ball to Loretto with a 59-40 rout of Oneida in a state quarterfinal to set up a Friday semifinal with the Greenfield-Clarkrange winner.

"It's not a gold ball," Rutledge said of the 1958 trophy. "I went to the trophy case (Thursday) morning. We were kind of rushed. We don't have a girls gold ball in here because it wasn't a gold ball back then. It was just an older trophy."

The game has also changed since the 1958 title game. Basketball was a 6-on-6 halfcourt game back then.

The Lady Mustangs are making their 17th trip to the state tournament and first since 2014.

While this year's Lady Mustangs are new to playing in state tournaments, several spent last season's boys basketball state championship run in the Murphy Center seats while the boys program won its first title.

Loretto teammates Karly Weathers and Mimi McBee each received messages of encouragement from their older brothers — Ryan Weathers and Will BcBee — who were members of last year's boys team. Ryan Weathers was the boys tournament MVP.

"He told me to play my game and have confidence," said Karly of her brother's comments. Ryan Weathers was selected seventh overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2018 MLB draft and is at spring training. "When I play in big games he lets me know the work up to it will prepare me for the moment at hand."

Karly Weathers, a Class A Miss Basketball finalist, had a quiet first half, scoring just two points. However she shot 7-of-9 in the second half, finished with a game-high 23 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds to go with four assists and four steals.

With her not scoring in the first half, others picked up the offense, including Morgan Welch, who had 15.

 Mimi McBee, who added seven points, also got advice from her brother.

"Before we got up here he actually sent me a text that said don't pee my pants, but to just enjoy it," she said.

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Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.