Lady Indians take down Admirals, bound for Murfreesboro

“I was just asking Coach (Frankie) DeBusk, ‘How’s this work?’” said Francis, while wearing the net his Lady Indians had just cut down at Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium.

But no worries, they’ll make it work. The Lady Indians (24-8) have found ways to make things work all season, no matter what they’ve faced.

So even when Farragut (21-13) cut D-B’s 17-point lead to 45-40 with 1:26 remaining, the Lady Indians didn’t flinch. Rae Evans and freshman Sally McReynolds both sank free throws over the next minute to keep the Tribe ahead. Caroline Hill’s foul shots with 3.5 seconds on the clock provided the final tally.

Hill, who broke her own single-season 3-point record with her 78th triple, led the Tribe with 19 points. She went 7-of-7 at the charity stripe, making five in the fourth quarter.

“We were all calm, and we know no matter what happens if we give it our all, we can come out with a win,” said Hill, who got a surprise visit from longtime friend Sydney Mains after the game. Mains had just helped Knoxville Catholic win a Division II-AA state title hours earlier. ”I’m just super excited. We’ve dreamed of this since the summertime, and we’ve really made our dreams come true.”

TRIBE IN CONTROL

Kaydence Black’s 10-foot jumper gave D-B a 26-14 halftime lead, and Payton Moore’s second 3-pointer made it 31-20 in the third quarter. Hill drove to the basket twice in the final frame, and another Black layup made it 40-23.

The Lady Indians’ defense, meanwhile, held Farragut without a field goal for a stretch of 9:37 until K.J. McNealy got going.

“I feel like my defense is probably my strong suit right now,” Moore said. “We’re such a well-grouped team right now, with all the downfalls and everything. I felt like we really hustled. We were really dialed in during practice, really dialed in during the games and everything. We were ready to win.”

ALL HANDS ON DECK

McNealy, who led Farragut with 22 points, hit four field goals in the fourth quarter. After hitting a 10-footer to keep the Lady Admirals within 45-40, her second 3-pointer closed the gap to 49-45 in the final minute. But Farragut couldn’t hit another basket.

Annie Priest’s 3-pointer gave Farragut its only lead at 3-0, after which D-B responded with nine straight points. Moore’s 3 put the Tribe ahead for good, and her short jumper made it 11-5 after one quarter.

“I knew as soon as I hit that first shot, I was ready to rock and roll,” Moore said.

OWNING THEIR ROLES

Reagan Hollowell stunned the home crowd with two 3s in the second quarter, providing a 19-5 cushion.

“She puts in a lot of work behind the scenes and tonight was her night, so I’m glad she got that,” Hill said of Hollowell.

Moore scored nine points, Black eight and Hollowell six for the Tribe. Jaci Neubert scored seven of her nine points at the foul line for Farragut, and Priest finished with eight.

“In today’s society, everybody wants all the accolades, and it’s hard to get people to buy into roles,” Francis said. “This bunch has bought into their roles. They’ve accepted it and they’re having a blast. That’s what it’s all about, man.”

UP NEXT

Dobyns-Bennett takes on Coffee County in the TSSAA Class 4A quarterfinals on Wednesday. Tip at the Murphy Center is set for 1:45 p.m.