How Providence Christian boys basketball used size to reach first DII-A state final four

Trailing by four points in the second quarter of Saturday's Division II-A state quarterfinal game, Providence Christian's boys basketball coach Kerry Hammonds called what proved to be a game-changing timeout.

During the timeout he reminded the players to utilize their strength. That strength being their length.

After a 17-4 PCA run, the hosts never trailed again en route to a 68-57 win over Trinity Christian to earn the program's first berth into the TSSAA DII-A state tournament's final four.

"I told the guys that it's really hard to score against our set defense, with our length and pressure," said Hammonds, a former Siegel and MTSU star. "We were giving them wide-open layups off turnovers. We stopped turning the ball over, which led to good shots, which amped up our defense."

PCA (26-4) will play in the state semifinals at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville on Friday. Evangelical Christian, First Assembly Christian and Silverdale Academy were the other three teams to advance Saturday.

Size has been the difference for PCA boys basketball

Providence Christian starts three players who are 6-foot-5 or taller, and that doesn't include the first player off the bench, 6-6 sophomore forward Aiden Bolden.

Bolden has been on the varsity since being moved up as an eighth grader during the 2022 postseason, has relished the role as sixth man. He led the team with 14 points off the bench Saturday.

"We're so long that (opponents) really can't see what's behind us," Bolden said. "We use our length very well."

Senior point guard and Franklin Road Christian School transfer Judson Bjornstad, who scored 11 Saturday, is an example of that.

"All year (Hammonds) has told us about how our physicality and strength and athleticism really gets to people," said Bjornstad, a Union University basketball and baseball signee. "Our size has really been good for us. It really helps lengthen the court and we can do more on defense."

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PCA boys basketball went from two wins to final four in short time

Hammonds watched his team win just two games in his first season in 2019-20 before tallying nine the following year and then enjoying winning records over the past three seasons. PCA didn't field a varsity team in 2018-19.

"To be able to play in this game and still be playing is amazing," Hammonds said. "It's a testament to the hard work from the guys in the program. It's been an incredible journey, and it's all that more sweet because of the lumps we took along the way."

Adding size to the roster that would be tough to contend with in Class 4A, much less DII-A, has been a big factor in the turnaround.

"I did my job, they did their job ... we all did our job," said PCA 6-8 junior forward Preston Wade, who scored nine points, including a thunderous dunk, and had four of the team's six blocked shots Saturday. "It was win or go home."

"It feels good," Bolden said. "It's like we wrote on the board ... we're out here ring chasing."