On fourth try, Arlington girls get first tourney win
MURFREESBORO — The game came down to the final two minutes, and that’s where Arlington shined the brightest as it closed out a 60-56 Class AAA girls basketball quarterfinal victory over Brentwood on Wednesday.
It was the first state tournament win for Arlington, which has made it to Murfreesboro the past three seasons and went for the first time in 2015.
“I’d been thinking about how we hadn’t won up here, but today it came up like, ‘Man I don’t want this group to be a group that doesn’t get a win in the state tournament,’” coach Wes Shappley said. “This was our third time here and fourth time in sixth years with the previous coach and everybody had lost up until now, so it’s a big deal to come up here and win one.”
Each team started a pair of twin sisters. Emily and Delaney Trushel combined for 23 points for Brentwood (29-3).
Carmen and Charmen Taylor combined for 21 for Arlington (31-5).
“Their two, they’re long, they can shoot it and handle it under pressure,” Shappley said. “My two can do the same. These two have done a great job of carrying on the twin legacy at Arlington,
you know we’re known for twins.”
Arlington had another pair of twins last year in Lanyce and Lanetta Williams, who played as freshmen this season at Memphis.
Carmen Taylor was the hot hand for the Tigers early in the game, scoring 12 first-half points and finishing with 17. She said she enjoys playing with her sister because they push each other to get better.
“She helps me get better, I help her get better and to have both of us, we can help each other get better not even having to go to the gym because there’s two of us,” Carmen Taylor said.
Christina Nichols helped close out the game, finishing with 18 points, including 15 in the second half.
Arlington will play Lebanon on Friday at 11:30 a.m. in the semifinals at MTSU’S Murphy Center.
Whitehaven, which beat Maryville, also advanced to semifinals and will play Stone Memorial at 10 a.m. Friday.
If Arlington and Whitehaven both win they’ll play each other in Saturday’s title game.
Arlington beat Whitehaven 59-42 in its season opener.
“It’s huge, but I’d like to see an allmemphis final so we can take that gold ball back to Shelby County,” Shappley said.