Wilson Central scored 12 unanswered points to open the second quarter of its Class AAA girls sectional game Saturday night at Hunters Lane, then held on for a 52-43 victory.
The win puts the Lady Wildcats (26-5) back in the state tournament after a two-year absence, while thwarting Hunters Lane's try for its first appearance in 10 years.
"If we hadn't gotten off to such a good start, we may not be going back to Murfreesboro," Wilson Central Coach Bud Brandon said, acknowledging the Lady Warriors' scrappy attempt to rally in the second half.
"They've been a second-half team, a fourth-quarter team. They've got seven seniors, and they're very determined. I told our team at halftime they wouldn't be the same team coming back out."
Wilson Central hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter and connected twice more as part of a 12-0 run that led to a 35-17 halftime cushion.
"In the first half, we were very patient offensively, got the shots we needed, played our game," forward Taylor Peterson said after scoring a game-high 23 points. "In the second half, I think we were playing up to their tempo, passing it into their hands."
Hunters Lane (24-6) went to a 1-3-1 press and dropped into the same halfcourt defense to open the second half, creating turnovers and going on a 13-2 spurt. Kaysia Taylor's basket with five minutes to play pulled the Lady Warriors within 39-34.
"They were very aggressive in the 1-3-1 — getting tips, jumping our passes," Peterson said. "We had trouble getting the ball inside or getting our 3s like we did in the first half.
"We were confident in what we were doing, but as we got away from what we were doing, they got more confident. And that gym is louder than any gym I've been in."
Hunters Lane never got any closer. CaSandra Thomason scored Wilson Central's final four points from the foul line to preserve the win.
"We were up six points with three minutes to play, and we made the decision to hold the ball," Brandon said. "We went to the free throw line, we knocked them down, and we're moving on."
Thomason finished with 11 points for Wilson Central. DeAndrea Sawyers scored 11 to lead Hunters Lane, with Erika Cook adding 10.
"Wilson Central's got a great team, and we wish them the best of luck next week," Hunters Lane Coach Schronda Moore said. "We just waited too late to start playing, getting a hand in their faces and playing with defensive aggressiveness."
"We should have gone to our 1-3-1 earlier."
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