Smith County falls to eventual 2A champion Huntingdon in tournament thriller

GIRLS 2A STATE TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINALS

Huntingdon 60, Lady Owls 57

By Terry Collins Courier Sports

MURFREESBORO — The Smith County High Lady Owls basketball team played in its third ever state tournament last Wednesday afternoon at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro. The Lady Owls faced Huntingdon in the Class 2A quarterfinals as they had defeated the Fillies 61-56 back on November 22. 

Smith Co. came in to the game with a 22-12 mark while Huntingdon stood at 28-3 with two of those losses coming in Hall of Fame play at Carthage to the Lady Owls and Pickett County. 

The Fillies from Carroll County were making their seventh state tournament appearance and used a big second half to grab a 60-57 victory. 

Huntingdon went on to claim the Class 2A title last Saturday with a 43-41 over the Lady Owls’ District 6-2A and Region 3-2A rival York Institute. 

The Lady Owls led 28-24 at halftime as Huntingdon went on a 25-16 third quarter run which proved to be the difference. 

“It was very disappointing to be that close to the first state tournament win in school history after having led most of the game,” said Smith County head coach Matt Ferrell. “The girls were disappointed, I am disappointed, and I think that comes from expectations. We have a saying in our locker room that at the heart of great disappointment is a great expectation. These kids shouldered the burden now for two years of it being a disappointment if we didn’t make it to the state tournament and they did that, but these kids (and me) have a different goal. We do not want to just be here, we want to win it and we think we had the team this year to do that, so ultimately it’s disappointing to not accomplish our goal.”

The Fillies led 49-44 after three quarters as the Lady Owls responded with a 6-0 to begin the fourth quarter and grabbed a 50-49 lead on a Dacey Claywell three -pointer with 5:56 left.

Huntingdon responded with an 8-1 run to jump in front 57-51 with four minutes to go in the game. 

The Lady Owls had one last chance as the Fillies made only 3-of-12 free throws down the stretch as Sophie Desimone missed a game-tying three point shot out of the right corner which would have knotted the game. 

The Lady Owls rebounded and got another shot up but missed before time expired ending the Lady Owls season. 

READ MORE IN COURIER SPORTS