Cleveland, Howard boys lose at state tournament
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A frigid first half of shooting and too many defensive lapses in the second half proved to be a crippling combination for the Cleveland boys’ basketball team in Thursday’s TSSAA Class AAA state quarterfinals.
The Blue Raiders, who had earned a state tournament berth for the third straight season, shot just 28% from the field in the first half — including missing all eight of their 3-point attempts — and trailed by double digits early in the third quarter against Collierville at Middle Tennessee State’s Murphy Center.
Although Cleveland rallied to within a point, the Dragons eventually regained control to win 62-56.
“Our defense was poor,” Blue Raiders coach Reggie Tucker said. “That’s the worst we’ve played defensively in our last eight games. We just couldn’t figure why we were having missed assignments on defense. They scored 20 points in the paint and we didn’t even touch them, weren’t even around them.
“They were tougher than us. They were beating us to the
50/50 balls and rebounds for second-chance points. I guess we left our defense in Cleveland. Empty possessions on defense hurts us.”
Collierville (23-11), which will face Cane Ridge (15-0) in the semifinals, led by 12 midway through the third quarter on Alex Vandenbergh’s 3-pointer.
But Cleveland wing Grant Hurst, who had made a pair of key 3-pointers that helped his team win its sectional game to advance to state, simply would not allow the Blue Raiders (22-8) to go quietly. The senior followed a three-point play with a deep 3-pointer in a 30-second span to bring them within seven, providing the spark needed to begin a rally.
In the opening minute of the fourth quarter, Hurst followed Alex Hyder’s 3-pointer with a reverse layup that closed the gap to three points. One minute later, a Jasen Brooks layup cut Collierville’s lead to one.
“I wanted to win really bad,” said Hurst, who finished with a game-high 32 points on 13-of-24 shooting with eight rebounds. “It’s tough just because it’s your last one. For all the coaches who have seen my film but haven’t pulled the trigger, that might have been the last straw.
“I never stopped working. I never left the gym. For two straight years, it’s been getting to the gym at 5:30 in the morning, no days off. That’s what makes this so tough.”
Cleveland’s trip to Murfreesboro came a year after qualifying but being denied the chance to play in the state tournament when the TSSAA shut down sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite their struggles, the Blue Raiders remained in striking distance during the fourth quarter Thursday. Collierville’s lead hovered from three to five points until the final two minutes, when a Davon Barnes three-point play began a 9-2 run that put the game away.
“We came out ready to play,” Dragons coach Scott Robinson said. “Our guys were locked in, ready to go. We’ve got a senior class that’s been wanting to prove something. We wanted to get the ball inside because we felt like we could take advantage in the paint, and we did.”