By From the Archives

Published: March 12, 2009

BY BRIAN T. SMITH
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Tennessee High kept fighting.
Kimberly Wood collected rebounds and banked home putbacks. Sara Wysor guarded the perimeter and swished a 3-pointer. And Sarah Baker slid across the court, playing tight defense and knocking down mid-range shots.
The Vikings fell to the Memphis Central Warriors, 51-39, Thursday evening in the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association 1-AAA state quarterfinals at the Murphy Center.
But Tennessee High (28-5) didn’t go down without a fight. The Vikings had earned their first-ever state tournament appearance. And they played the game for everything it was worth.
“Nobody quit tonight and it didn’t surprise me, because I know how these girls are and I know the way they’re going to work,” said Tennessee High coach Barry Wade, whose team outscored the Warriors 17-7 in the fourth quarter and 31-22 in final two periods. “And I’m just so proud of them for what we did do in the second half. We played our butts off, and that’s what we’re down here for.”
Wood scored a game-high 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting and collected seven rebounds to lead the Vikings. She gave an inspired effort and showed no quit throughout the contest, despite the fact that Tennessee High trailed 42-18 with 1 minute, 33 seconds left in the third quarter. Wood scored eight points in the third period and 15 in the second half. And she drew praise from Wade for her gutsy performance.
“We talked about getting respect and not giving up,” Wood said. “I just kept fighting, not to give up, hoping our defense could pick it up.”
Danielle Montgomery added nine points for Tennessee High. Baker contributed five, while Wysor and Blakeley Burleson chipped in with three apiece.
Danielle Ballard scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds to top the Warriors (34-1), sending Memphis Central to its 24th straight win. The Warriors’ last defeat was to Whitney Young, Ill., 51-50, Dec. 29 in the Nike Tournament of Champions.
Memphis Central outscored their previous four opponents by an average of 21 points. Thursday was no different in regards to the Warriors’ dominance. Memphis Central attacked Tennessee High with speed and precision on offense and constant, heavy pressure on the defensive end.
“It’s taking advantage of the gifts that God’s given us,” Warriors coach Niki Bray said. “We’re long, we’re lanky, we’re athletic – play to your strengths.”
Tennessee High was unable to settle into its offense from the opening tip, as the Warriors utilized a trap-heavy man-to-man defense that forced the Vikings into five turnovers in the game’s first four minutes.
“I think their pressure on their defense is what really got us,” Wood said.
Tennessee High didn’t help its cause. The Vikings missed early layups and hurried shots from the perimeter, adding fire to Memphis Central’s fast-break offense.
Tennessee High’s first-half struggles were symbolized by two airballs and a 3-point attempt that bounced off the back side of the backboard.
The Vikings were held to 13.6 percent (3 of 22) shooting from the field in the first half and 13.3 percent (2 of 15) overall behind the 3-point line. In contrast, Memphis Central shot 48 percent (12 of 25) from the field in the first half and 42.9 percent overall.

“Their pressure never really let us get settled [into] what we want to do offensively,” Wade said.
A three-point play by Warriors guard Erica Burgess (10 points) gave Memphis Central a 20-5 advantage with 3:23 left in the second quarter. The Warriors then took a 29-8 lead into halftime.
But the Vikings emerged from the break seeking respect and showing heart. And their fight was exactly what Wade was looking for.
“I may need to retire,” Wade said. “What else could we leave as a legacy? The only thing we can do next is come down here and win.
“We are disappointed we lost, but we can’t let this set the tone for our season, ‘cause it’s just been great. And these kids are great.”

MEMPHIS CENTRAL (51) – Aaliyah Whiteside 3-5 4-6 10, Danielle Ballard 6-12 3-3 15, Erica Burgess 4-9 2-4 10, Ajanaku 4-8 0-0 8, Taylor 3-12 0-1 6, James 1-3 0-0 2, Butler 0, Carter 0. Totals 21-49 9-14 51.
TENNESSEE HIGH (39) – Kimberly Wood 8-13 1-3 17, Montgomery 4-13 1-2 9, Wysor 1-10 0-0 3, Thornsberry 1-2 0-0 2, Baker 2-4 1-2 5, Burleson 1-4 0-0 3, Vance 0, Grinnell 0, Graham 0, Keen 0, Huneycutt 0. Totals 17-51 3-7 39.
Memphis Central 13 16 15 7—51
Tennessee High 4 4 14 17—39
3-point goals – MC 0-9; TH 2-15 (Wysor, Burleson).

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