Lady Lions trounce Notre Dame 56-23 to advance to first region semifinal since 2020

BY BRIAN HAMILTON SEYMOUR – TKA advanced to its first region semifinal since 2020 on Tuesday night, as the Lady Lions put their foot on the gas early and never let up, ending Notre Dame’s season with a 56-23 win in the region quarterfinals. “We just punched them in the mouth first and it gave us some cushion on the back end,” King’s Academy head coach Dante Turnipseed said after the game. The King’s Academy scored immediately to start the game, as freshman guard Bailey Tidwell caught the opening tip and sprinted down the court for a layup and a …

Tucker signs with Asbury

TKA star guard Juleigh Anne Tucker signs with Asbury

SEYMOUR – The King’s Academy girls’ basketball team finished as state runner-up in Division II – Class A during the 2019-20 season, a season that ended with an incomplete for most squads, as the Covid-19 virus shut down all high school sports in mid-March. That year’s Lady Lions’ squad did have the opportunity to play out the season with a team that featured 2022 Class 4A Miss Basketball Jennifer Sullivan, who finished her career at Bearden, along with Bailey Burgess, who also transferred to Bearden. Standout post players Amelia and Ainsley Pfeiffer wound up at Alcoa during the 2021-22 season …

South-Doyle vs Fulton

Historically bad shooting performance dooms Lady Kees in loss to Fulton

BY BRIAN HAMILTON KNOXVILLE – It might not be too rare to see a team go scoreless in the first quarter, but for a team to go scoreless in the first half and for almost three quarters, it is definitely a rarity. That’s what happened at Jody Wright Arena on Thursday night. The Lady Kees had multiple shots and layups that just seemed to either bounce or roll off the front rim. For most of the game, it appeared that there was some supernatural force diverting South-Doyle’s shots anywhere but through the net. Credit Fulton’s swarming defense just as much …

Heritage vs Bearden

Lady Mountaineers fall to top-ranked Bearden, despite Swaney’s 27

BY BRIAN HAMILTON WALLAND – Tuesday night’s game between Bearden and Heritage featured two teams with a combined one loss. The closest Bearden had come to being beat was at Alcoa earlier in the month, when the Lady Bulldogs used a furious rally to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat, winning 34-33. The Lady Mountaineers’ only setback was a 61-60 comeback loss to Cumberland County in the final of the Heritage Christmas Tournament before Christmas. This game lived up to its billing for all of three quarters, as Carsyn Swaney put forth a heroic effort with 27 points, …