Bearden beats three-time defending champ Memphis East for first state title

MURFEESBORO — From now and well into tomorrow and for the rest of their lives, the Bearden Bulldogs will remember how they felt when the buzzer sounded at 5:11 Central time Saturday and they all jumped and hopped and cried and yelped into one big pile on the court and MTSU's Murphy Center. 

They will remember the feeling when the Class AAA championship ended, and their families and friends, all who made the almost-three hour drive from Knoxville to Murfeesboro, all celebrated the 83-68 victory over three-time defending champion Memphis East. 

They will remember how they lost to East (25-9) last season in the semifinals, only one year later to beat the Mustangs and James Wiseman — the top-ranked recruit in the country — who still scored 24 points, snatched 11 rebounds and also had five blocks. 

They will remember — and be remembered — for their talent, their chemistry, their defense, and everything else that led to this dream season, one where Bearden (32-5), won the first boys basketball state championship in school history. It's also the first boys basketball state championship in Class AAA for a Knoxville-area team since 1977. 

They will remember the performance from their seniors, from Trent Stephney and Drew Pember, to Roman Robinson and Shamarcus Brown. It was Stephney who scored 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting. It was Pember, the Tennessee basketball signee, who added seven points, the last of which were a layup with under two minutes left that put the Bulldogs up 12 points. 

"I don't have any words," said Pember. "To have it end like this our senior year, we all go out as a group, it's a blessing." 

And, of course, everyone will remember Ques Glover, Bearden's leading scorer, who matched Wiseman in scoring. It was Glover who led Bearden in scoring all season long, was a Class AAA Mr. Basketball finalist, has 20 scholarship offers, and who, even at six-feet tall, fears nothing. 

"I fear no man because being undersized, you got to have a chip on your shoulder to play top guys in the nation," said Glover.

They will remember how hard they all worked, how Stephney moved to Knoxville from Indiana. How they met their coach, Jeremy Parrott, at the beginning of their sophomore years. How they all grew together, from their sophomore year when they lost in the state tournament quarterfinals, to state semifinals their junior year, to now their senior year, when they all got to raise the gold ball trophy. 

"Our senior year, we finally did it," Stephney said before saying they are all going to the beach in Florida to celebrate. "We're gonna have a (great) time."