By Jason Williams
Eads, TN – Briarcrest girls basketball head coach Lee Smith called his team’s position “unfamiliar territory” after a 59-44 victory over Father Ryan in Division II-AA sub-state action.
The Lady Saints improved to 28-0 and clinched a bid to the state tournament in Nashville next weekend.
“This is going to be a tough one,” Smith said. “We’ve got to play Brentwood (Academy). We want to enjoy today. We’re going to start looking at film tomorrow and get ready to play. It’s good to be where we are … We know that every time we play, (opponents) are going to bring their best against us.”
Jasmine Cincore, the reigning Miss Basketball, scored 28 points to lead Briarcrest in a game that was closer than the final score indicates. Cincore scored 13 points, all from the free throw line, in the fourth quarter to continue the Lady Saints’ run at a perfect season.
Cincore struggled against the full court pressure applied by the Father Ryan defense in the opening quarter with three quick turnovers. But Smith talked to his star player one-on-one to calm her nerves.
“I thought Jas was trying to do too much at times,” Smith said. “I wanted her to just settle down and play. Jas made two or three turnovers, and that’s uncharacteristic of Jas. But she wanted it so bad. She wanted to win. I just told her to relax.”
The University of Nebraska signee responded with 11 points in the second quarter to push the Lady Saints to a 23-17 lead at the break.
Defensively, Briarcrest had a difficult time guarding the Father Ryan offense. The Irish used an array of back screens that resulted in open lay-ups in the opening quarter. The Lady Saints switched to a zone defense to start the second quarter and caused seven turnovers.
“They were hurting us and getting loose under the basket,” Smith said. “… We went to a zone, and I thought we kind of contained them good in the zone. Then second half when they adjusted to our zone, we went to a man so it was just chess play.”
Father Ryan was led by senior Sarah Gromos, who finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Gromos hit a jumper with 6:51 remaining in the fourth quarter to get her team within four points, but the Lady Saints put on a free throw shooting clinic to extend their lead.
Brynn Holden made consecutive jumpers, and Briarcrest made 17 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter to push the Lady Saints to a hard-fought victory.
The Lady Saints will play Brentwood Academy in the semifinal round in Allen Arena at Lipscomb University at 1:15 p.m. on Friday. Ensworth and Harpeth Hall will battle at 10 A.M. in the other semifinal round game.
“We’re taking it one game at a time,” Cincore said. “The first game is a barrier. It’s a wall to push through. If we push through that, there’s no stopping us.”
Mary Francis Hoots had nine points for the Irish, who stood toe-to-toe with the undefeated Lady Saints. Smith praised the Irish after the game and said his team was forced to play ugly basketball.
“The thing about Father Ryan is they’re so well-coached,” Smith said. “(Father Ryan head coach) Jason (Larkin) does a great job with them. They make you play ugly basketball. They run their sets. They’re very, very sharp in what they do. They do all the little things well.”
Unofficial box score:
| No. | BCS Player | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. | TO | Blk. | Stl. | FG | 3P | FT |
| 34 | Jasmine Cincore* | 28 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7-9 | 1-1 | 13-16 |
| 15 | Brynn Holden* | 12 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3-6 | 1-1 | 5-6 |
| 32 | Elise Holden* | 11 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4-7 | 1-2 | 2-2 |
| 22 | Kathryn Newman* | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 |
| 14 | Gabby Salazar* | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1-4 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| 30 | Morgan Hunt | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| 35 | Kalynn Parks | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 1-2 |
| 10 | Tatiana Love | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 21 | Julianne Bryson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 23 | Lindsey Taylor | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 24 | Hannah Steele | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Totals | 59 | 22 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 4 | 17-30 | 4-9 | 21-28 | |
| No. | FR Player | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. | TO | Blk. | Stl. | FG | 3P | FT |
| 33 | Sarah Gromos | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6-9 | 1-2 | 2-4 |
| 3 | Mary Francis Hoots* | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3-9 | 1-6 | 2-3 |
| 11 | Audrey Burdge* | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3-6 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| 23 | Katie Jordan | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 2-4 |
| 32 | Allison Proctor | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-1 |
| 14 | Tally Bishop | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 24 | Abigail Wehby* | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1-5 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 42 | Emma Collins* | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2-2 |
| 12 | Olivia Rolick* | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| 22 | Maggie Rider | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| – | TEAM | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Totals | 44 | 22 | 9 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 16-36 | 3-13 | 9-14 | |
J-Will Sports 