Overton ends tourney drought in dominant win over Dickson Co.
Overton boys basketball couldn’t have asked for a more dominant performance in its 105-73 win over Dickson County on Monday night to advance to the program’s first state tournament in 60 years.
Jordan Frison looked composed and slowed the game down so much he looked like he was playing in slow motion. Xavier Alexander made so many first-half 3-pointers, Overton reached 60 points by halftime. And Overton coach Shelvie Rose was so happy with ending the long drought away from the state tournament, he wore the cutdown net around his neck and didn’t even bother running when his team dumped water on him under the netless basket.
It was a celebration fit for a team on a historic run that brought the program’s first sectional, regional and city championship to Overton for the first time in the same season.
Ever.
“This senior class ended a 60-year drought,” Frison said. “Just like that, we’ll be forever remembered at this school.”
Rose had a feeling this team could be special when Alexander transferred from Kingsbury to the Wolverines this season. He was the third piece of the ‘Big 3’ − Alexander, Jailen Hardaway and Frison − he envisioned would help his team go on a historic run.
Hardaway, Qua’tavious Gatewood, Dreshun Motley, Robert Brown and Frison were returning from last year’s team. Hardaway and Frison were the cornerstones and Alexander, who led all scorers with 33 points, became the final piece.
“Once we got (Xavier) and once we got the pieces together,” Rose said, “I knew I had a ‘Big 3.’ That’s why I say in high school, if you have a ‘Big 3’ you can do a little something.”
The senior class means so much more to the Overton community having embarked on its historic run. It missed a season due to Memphis-shelby County Schools not playing during COVID-19 in
But any brief thoughts leaving the sport were outweighed by trusting her talent and making some changes.
“I knew I was too good. I didn’t want to give up. It was very frustrating,” Griggs recalled. “It was a different time in my life with a lot going on that distracted from the court. Once I removed that stuff, it helped me to focus.”
Both players embodied the team’s resurgence under coach Katrina Merriweather. Shutes, the team’s leading scorer, earned ALL-AAC second-team honors. Griggs was a third-team selection as she’s second in the conference in 3-point shooting percentage.
They’ve also led the team in different ways. Shutes is more vocal and her experience as a fifth-year senior carries weight in the locker room. Griggs’ work ethic sets a tone as she’s set the school record for most career 3-pointers this season.
“Those two and their leadership are the reason we’re in the position we’re in,” Merriweather said.
Merriweather’s hire in 2021 validated Shutes’ reason to stay. In one of their first meetings, Shutes recalled how Merriweather watched her film and told her she wanted her on the team. It was the first step of creating trust that something better was coming.
“That was the biggest thing. Melissa wanted me there (and) I wanted to be under somebody that wanted me there,” Shutes said. How (Merriweather) ran her program (at Wright State), she had a lot of success.”
Griggs saw Merriweather was open to understanding her new players and giving them room to be themselves. She also loved how Merriweather didn’t just preach about family but showed it by bringing her former staff to Memphis.
It helped Griggs believe early on the culture was changing. Last season saw the Tigers have their first winning record since 2015-16 but behind the scenes, Griggs and Shutes said everyone wasn’t on the same page. Some players had different goals or struggled with Merriweather’s coaching style.
This year? There’s more fun and less on-court tension. The Tigers’ current seven-game winning streak was highlighted by Griggs making a turn-around 3-pointer at the buzzer to win at SMU.
“It just reminds us of playing AAU (basketball). Just going out there, hooping and having fun,” Griggs said. “We’re playing more as a team now so it’s easy for everybody. That’s what makes it fun.”
Leaving the Tigers would’ve made sense after one of the worst seasons in program history in 20-21. Instead, Griggs and Shutes are on the verge of tasting postseason basketball for the first time whether it’s the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.
Neither forgot the lessons they learned early in their career. It’s motivated the duo to not be satisfied with the No. 2 seed but keep playing to show more people that Memphis has changed and how they’ve grown from riding through the rough patches.
“We’re ready to go. Not to prove everybody else wrong but prove to ourselves that we’re way better than what anybody else thinks we are,” Griggs said.