Chattanooga Times Free Press

Baylor set for DII-AA semifinals

- BY KELLEY SMIDDIE STAFF WRITER

Baylor’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are each a win away from playing for a high school state championsh­ip. Both are set to compete in Division II-AA semifinals today at Lipscomb University in Nashville.

Baylor’s boys (18-6) play Memphis’s Briarcrest Christian (28-3) at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. The Baylor girls (20-9) play Brentwood Academy (27-2) at 2:15.

Each Baylor team is going to have to deal with one of the state’s best players. For the Lady Red Raiders, it’s Miss Basketball finalist Sydni Harvey.

No. 1-ranked BA defeated No. 8 Baylor in both East/ Middle Region regular-season games this season, so the Lady

Raiders know Harvey’s capabiliti­es well. Harvey leads the Lady Eagles in scoring with an average of 17.8 points per game, in rebounding at 4.6 per game and in assists at 3.6 per game.

“We’ve got to do a good job of keeping her in front of us,” Baylor coach John Gibson said. “She’s a driver, and relentless at it. She just causes defenses problems. The two times we’ve played them before we’ve sent her to the free-throw line too much. And she’s a good freethrow shooter.”

Baylor’s leading scorer this season is freshman Raegyn Conley, who has averaged 12 points per game, and the Lady Raiders have been paced by senior Cheyenne Lindsey in rebounding (10 per game) and steals (4 per game). Their top all-around player is JuToreyia Willis, who has averaged 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks per game this season.

When the Lady Raiders have the ball, Gibson is stressing one thing in particular.

“We’ve got to try to do a better job of executing,” he said. “We just turned the ball over too much the other times. We’ve just got to do a better job of taking care of the ball.”

The Red Raiders will be going up against a Mr. Basketball finalist in Cedric Henderson Jr. He’s a 6-foot-5 small forward whose father played for the University of Memphis and later in the NBA.

The younger Henderson has averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.6 steals and almost a block per game this season. Kennedy Chandler lends the most scoring support with an average of 12.3 points per game.

Baylor counters with two double-figure scorers in Beyuan Hendricks (14.7 ppg, 3.9 apg) and Randy Brady (11.8 ppg). Multiple Red Raiders have proven they can score in double figures in a given game, including Patrick Urey (8.4 ppg), a four-year starter who has had an injury-plagued senior season.

Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreep­ress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmid­die.

 ?? STAFF FILE PHOTO BY ERIN O. SMITH ?? Baylor’s Raegyn Conley drives to the basket during a recent home game against St. Cecilia. The Lady Red Raiders are 20-9 this season.
STAFF FILE PHOTO BY ERIN O. SMITH Baylor’s Raegyn Conley drives to the basket during a recent home game against St. Cecilia. The Lady Red Raiders are 20-9 this season.

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