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MURFREESBORO — Bartlett girls basketball hoped for a different result. A much, much different result than Saturday's 70-22 loss to Bradley Central in the TSSAA 4A state championship game.
At the end of the day and season, there's something to be said for making history.
The Panthers, finishing at 25-12, became the first Shelby County girls basketball team to appear in three consecutive TSSAA state tournament finals, but have unfortunately run into nationally-ranked Bradley Central (35-1) each of the last three years.
The Bearettes now have nine state titles, second only behind Shelbyville's 12 gold balls.
"If you don't find the silver lining in it, you're fighting a losing battle, so you better appreciate second place for three straight trips," Bartlett coach Wesley Shappley said. "I'm disappointed in our game today, but when you look at the full picture, there's only one team that's done this the last three years, and that's the team that's beat us three times in a row."
TSSAA GIRLS BASKETBALL State tournament brackets, schedule, scores for 2025 championships
Bradley Central, led by Miss Basketball finalist and Tournament MVP Kimora Fields (14 points), jumped on Bartlett with a 21-4 first-quarter lead and never took its foot off the gas. Avary Brewer had a game-high 19 points.
"I don't feel like we came out with an approach where we felt like we could win," Shappley said. "I don't think we had the competitive fire to be able to beat a team of that stature. At the end of the day, that comes back to me and I gotta figure that out."
Shappley's players echoed a similar sentiment. The Bartlett coach said that he sensed nerves that may have impacted the team's play.
"We're disappointed," junior Faye Williams said. "Should've came out harder."
TSSAA BOYS BASKETBALL State tournament brackets, schedule and scores
The result was certainly deflating, but Bartlett has joined Tennessee girls basketball's elite, perhaps second only behind a once-in-a-generation team in Chattanooga that happens to play in 4A. Shappley views the program's continued success as a testament to players who have continually stepped up.
"They've had a core group of kids that have done this for three straight years. A special team, a generational team," Shappley said of Bradley Central. "We've had three totally different groups of kids that have done it for three straight years. You look at the work these kids have continued to put in; they wanted to be where the group last year was. It's extremely rewarding for our program, and that's why I'm so confident."
Saturday is the end of a season for Bartlett, but Shappley said it's far from the end of the story he and his program are writing. The team will graduate just three seniors, returning All-Tournament players in Williams and junior Samiya Jones.
"We'll be back. Immediately," Shappley said. "This train is just getting started for us. We're gonna be around here for a long time, for as long as we want to be, because we have kids that understand it. They're gonna take this hard, but they're gonna bounce back and most of them are gonna be in the gym next week. I guarantee it."
Wendell Shepherd Jr. is The Commercial Appeal's high school sports beat writer. Reach Wendell at [email protected] or on X @wendellsjr_.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: TSSAA girls basketball state tournament 2025: Bartlett falls in 4A final
Continue reading...
At the end of the day and season, there's something to be said for making history.
The Panthers, finishing at 25-12, became the first Shelby County girls basketball team to appear in three consecutive TSSAA state tournament finals, but have unfortunately run into nationally-ranked Bradley Central (35-1) each of the last three years.
The Bearettes now have nine state titles, second only behind Shelbyville's 12 gold balls.
"If you don't find the silver lining in it, you're fighting a losing battle, so you better appreciate second place for three straight trips," Bartlett coach Wesley Shappley said. "I'm disappointed in our game today, but when you look at the full picture, there's only one team that's done this the last three years, and that's the team that's beat us three times in a row."
TSSAA GIRLS BASKETBALL State tournament brackets, schedule, scores for 2025 championships
Bradley Central, led by Miss Basketball finalist and Tournament MVP Kimora Fields (14 points), jumped on Bartlett with a 21-4 first-quarter lead and never took its foot off the gas. Avary Brewer had a game-high 19 points.
"I don't feel like we came out with an approach where we felt like we could win," Shappley said. "I don't think we had the competitive fire to be able to beat a team of that stature. At the end of the day, that comes back to me and I gotta figure that out."
Shappley's players echoed a similar sentiment. The Bartlett coach said that he sensed nerves that may have impacted the team's play.
"We're disappointed," junior Faye Williams said. "Should've came out harder."
TSSAA BOYS BASKETBALL State tournament brackets, schedule and scores
The result was certainly deflating, but Bartlett has joined Tennessee girls basketball's elite, perhaps second only behind a once-in-a-generation team in Chattanooga that happens to play in 4A. Shappley views the program's continued success as a testament to players who have continually stepped up.
"They've had a core group of kids that have done this for three straight years. A special team, a generational team," Shappley said of Bradley Central. "We've had three totally different groups of kids that have done it for three straight years. You look at the work these kids have continued to put in; they wanted to be where the group last year was. It's extremely rewarding for our program, and that's why I'm so confident."
Saturday is the end of a season for Bartlett, but Shappley said it's far from the end of the story he and his program are writing. The team will graduate just three seniors, returning All-Tournament players in Williams and junior Samiya Jones.
"We'll be back. Immediately," Shappley said. "This train is just getting started for us. We're gonna be around here for a long time, for as long as we want to be, because we have kids that understand it. They're gonna take this hard, but they're gonna bounce back and most of them are gonna be in the gym next week. I guarantee it."
Wendell Shepherd Jr. is The Commercial Appeal's high school sports beat writer. Reach Wendell at [email protected] or on X @wendellsjr_.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: TSSAA girls basketball state tournament 2025: Bartlett falls in 4A final
Continue reading...
