Lady Bulldogs go four in a row
Set to play district rival Friday
Bluff City — Bearden High School’s girls basketball team entered this week in the midst of a four-game winning streak.
The Lady Bulldogs (5-1) won three of those games over they holiday week as the competed in the Sullivan East Thanksgiving Classic in Northeast Tennessee.
They closed out tournament play with a win over the host Lady Patriots, prevailing, 58-23, Saturday.
Natalya Hodge led Bearden as she nearly single-handedly outscored Sullivan East. She scored 22 points. Riley Hunt added 10 points and Emma Rainey finished with eight for Bearden, which returned to action Tuesday night against Knoxville West (results were not available at press time) in the Lady Bulldogs’ final tune-up for Friday’s District 4-4A opener against league newcomer Oak Ridge.
Bearden hosts the Lady Wildcats Friday with tipoff slated for 6 p.m.
Oak Ridge (1-1) defeated the Lady Bulldogs to win the Region 2-4A Tournament last season but the teams are different this season.
“Both the boys and girls have tradition-rich programs at both schools,” Bearden coach Justin Underwood said. “They beat us to win the region, but we graduated three starters and they graduated five, I think, so we’re both going to be different, but I expect the game to be a challenge because they’re a really good team.”
Oak Ridge also has a new coach as former Seymour coach Kevin Tubbs took the reins for the Lady Wildcats after Paige Taylor resigned after leading Oak Ridge 10 consecutive district championships.
Tubbs, like Underwood, expects a tight game; but after more than a week off, the Lady Wildcats are merely looking forward to an opportunity to play another game.
“We’re just looking forward to playing again,” Tubbs said. “I inherited a schedule where we had the two Hall of Fame games, and now we’re playing what is actually our regular-season opener.
“Bearden is a great team and Hodge is a great player and the game will be a challenge for us, but it’s a challenge that we’re looking forward to.”
Oak Ridge last played on Nov. 18 when it lost on the road at Cookeville, 67-27.
Bearden, meanwhile, opened play at Sullivan East with a 70-52 win over Morristown West.
Hodge scored a game-high 33 points while Rainey had 19 and Hunt added eight.
Wednesday, Nov. 26, Bearden defeated West Ridge, 57-41, to avenge its lone loss of the season.
Hodge led the way with 26 points for the Lady Bulldogs.
Underwood said he was pleased with his team’s play over Thanksgiving Week.
