All photos by Karlee Wakeley.
Ensworth joined Brentwood Academy as the only schools to win four consecutive state championships.
By Jason Williams
Nashville, TN – To win his fourth consecutive state championship, Ensworth head coach Ricky Bowers knew his team would have to quit playing at Memphis University School’s pace.
So he told his team to just go. His team responded by pushing the ball up the floor before MUS could set up its defense. The Tigers applied full-court pressure to speed up a methodical MUS offense and ran away with a 57-46 victory and claim the BlueCross Division II-AA Boys State Championship.
“They played a big, wide Syracuse kind of zone,” Bowers said. “We got a little stymied and stagnant … In the second half, we talked about if they score, let’s go. If we don’t score, let’s pick up as opposed to getting back.”
The frantic pace allowed the Tigers to get to the basket, draw fouls and win the game from the free throw line. Ensworth finished 26-of-37 from the stripe.
“We got to the free throw line a lot,” Bowers said. “I think that really was the difference in the game. Now we can set our defense. Now we can determine pace of play. And we made our free throws.”
With the victory, Ensworth joins Brentwood Academy as the only schools in Tennessee history to win four straight titles. The Eagles accomplished the task from 2003-2006 behind future NBA lottery pick Brandan Wright.
While the program has had a winning tradition for four years, Bowers said this team did not show it had what it takes until four weeks ago.
“They decided they were going to play hard,” Bowers said. “They were really committed to each other. We quit talking about basketball stuff and started talking more about team stuff, about being a good teammate and being respectful and caring for other people. I think that was really as important as anything. We took out the selfishness. We started doing what we had to do to win, which is a byproduct of all the good stuff.”
Andrew Fleming (22) finished 16-of-22 from the free throw line. Fleming was named state tournament MVP and Mr. Basketball.
Junior Andrew Fleming led all scorers with 26 points, including 16-of-22 from the free throw line. Fleming became the first player in Division II-AA to win state championship MVP and Mr. Basketball in the same season since the leagues split in 2007.
Despite all the history made, Fleming and his team were just focused on winning today’s game.
“It feels great,” Fleming said. “I think we’re just trying to do what we do. We’re not really worried about the history part, but we’re definitely fortunate. We’re happy to win the game.”
Senior guard Chris Galvin led MUS with 16 points. Galvin helped give the Owls an early lead in the second half with a coast-to-coast lay-up, followed by another lay-up from David Nelson. But on the ensuing possession, Galvin landed on an opponent’s foot trying to grab a rebound and fell to the ground.
Galvin limped off the floor and got his ankle taped, but without its leader, MUS struggled against Ensworth’s pressure and could not regain a rhythm offensively.
2014 Division II-AA Boys All-Tournament Team:
Andrew Fleming (MVP) – Ensworth
Jordan Bone – Ensworth
D’Andre Ferby – Ensworth
Bailey Buford – MUS
Chris Galvin – MUS
David Nelson – MUS
Brode McLaughlin – Christian Brothers
Brentwood Academy avenged a loss to Ensworth in last year’s state championship with a 48-44 victory.
By Jason Williams
Nashville, TN – With a team fueled by memories of last season’s 57-42 loss in the state championship game, Brentwood Academy was led Saturday by a player who didn’t play last season.
Eight grader Sydni Harvey scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in leading her team to a come-from-behind 48-44 win over Ensworth.
“We lost last year, so most of our team except (Harvey) knew how that felt,” said Brentwood Academy coach Rhonda Brown. “I just give them so much credit for hanging in there.”
Down by 14 in the first quarter, the eighth-grade sensation led a rally just before halftime. Harvey scored five straight to cut the Tigers’ lead to six. She hit two jumpers in the second half that gave her team the lead.
While a performance by an eighth grader on this stage is beyond unusual, the 14-year-old Harvey does not see her youth as a disadvantage.
“I just tell myself they’re just girls, just like me,” said Harvey, who won an AAU national championship in the sixth grade.
“She’s just savvy,” Brown said. “You’d never know when she played with us that she’s an eighth grader. She gets along great with the girls. She’s a great teammate.”
At the end of the game, it was two more young players, sophomores Breuna Jackson and Anna Stephens, that hit free throws to put the Eagles ahead for good.
Jackson was fouled after an Ensworth turnover and proceeded to hit two free throws to give the Eagles a one-point lead with 23 seconds remaining. Ensworth couldn’t get two desperation looks to fall, and Stephens sealed a state championship with two free throws in the final three seconds.
Miss Basketball finalist Kennesha Nichols led the Tigers with 15 points but did not score in the second half. Brelle Smith also had 12 points.
Other news and notes from today’s game:
Briarcrest senior Jasmine Cincore was named Miss Basketball in Division II-AA for the second consecutive year. Cincore led the Saints to a 28-1 record. She has signed to play with the University of Nebraska next year.
2014 Division II-AA Girls All-Tournament Team:
Sydni Harvey (MVP) – Brentwood Academy
India Hall – Brentwood Academy
Breuna Jackson – Brentwood Academy
Kennesha Nichols – Ensworth
Brelle Smith – Ensworth
Jasmine Cincore – Briarcrest
Kennedy Potts – Harpeth Hall
J-Will Sports 