Why Greenfield fans gave Emma Grace Alford ovation in TSSAA tournament win every time she checked in or out

COOKEVILLE - Emma Grace Alford makes the most of the minutes she plays.

Alford helped lead Greenfield to a 55-49 win over North Greene in the TSSAA girls basketball state tournament Class 1A quarterfinals at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro on Wednesday. She scored 12 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.

The Jackets are set to play in the Class 1A semifinals on Friday at 12:45 p.m. against the winner of the Clay County-Moore County game.

The biggest impact Alford made was on the defensive end where she helped keep the Huskies’ junior center, Hannah Miller, in check with 11 points. Alford’s 6-foot frame forced Miller into tough shots.

“My biggest struggle was guarding (Miller),” Alford said. “She has really, really good moves. She can get some big rebounds, too. With the Miss Basketball finalist (Haley Bailey), they work together really well.”

So, why didn’t Alford play more minutes – or even start, for that matter?

She made her return to playing two months ago after suffering a torn ACL at the end of May. She had surgery in July to repair her right knee and she was back to work on the court in January.

“Having someone with this caliber of post moves and defense, especially in (Class 1A) and West Tennessee, that’s huge,” said Yellowjackets’ coach Tori Liggett. “To have this type of player come in and bring a dynamic and just add to us when we need a spark. She’s a big key for us.”

Each time Alford checked out of the game, the rather large cheering section for the Jackets gave her an ovation. Each time she checked back in, she got another ovation.

The stalwart force for the Jackets in Alford’s absence has been freshman guard Rayanna Fisher. The 5-foot-6 point guard showed her consistency and her scoring ability with 21 points, including going 9-for-10 from the free throw line.

Fisher drew plenty of contact on her driving ability and was able to score through the contact. She had a tough shot in the beginning of the fourth quarter when she fired a line-drive shot through contact and made it.

The way Fisher sees the court is how the post players work. If there isn’t anybody on the low block, she knows she can drive it to the basket. If the forward makes a step toward Fisher, she knows she can throw a pass to the corner for, usually, an open 3-pointer.

All of this stems from the extra work Fisher puts into the game. She finds ways to get into the gym and put together the extra work on her craft.

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“I go and shoot after practice every day and I go on Sundays,” Fisher said. “I just go as much as I can.”

The dynamic of Fisher’s scoring ability and Alford’s tenacity has helped create a big payoff for Greenfield.

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