Clay County

Lady Bulldogs Set To Take On Peabody On Wednesday

Photo by Kailee Means / UC Sports Nation

The Clay County Lady Bulldogs are making their return to the State Tournament for the first time since the 2012 season after defeating Huntland on Saturday by a final score of 60-53.

It’s worth pointing out that the 2012 appearance was a magical one for the Lady Bulldogs, as they defeated Cloudland, Summertown and Jackson County to win the Class A State Championship. Now nine years later, Clay County is back in the hunt for a gold ball.

One thing you hear many coaches say at this point in the season is that there are no easy outs. You have to play your best ball every game, or your season is over. That will be the case on Wednesday when the Lady Bulldogs open the entire State Tournament with their 10 A.M. date with Peabody.

The Golden Tide come into this game with a 26-7 overall record, and an 8-2 mark in district play. They made it to both their district and region championships, where they were defeated both times by Gibson County. They defeated Madison Academic Magnet in the District 14A Semifinals by a 56-26 count, and they downed Gleason (45-27) and 2020 State Tournament Competitor Greenfield (52-44) in the Region 7A Tournament before falling to Gibson County each time.

The most interesting thing about this matchup is that it’s been 19 years since these two teams last played.

Yes, you read that right.

These two last clashed on Mar. 8, 2002 at that year’s Class A State Tournament. It was in the Final Four, and Clay County won by a final score of 53-38 before falling to Ezell-Harding in the Championship by the same score.

For the Lady Bulldogs, the key, like always, is in their defense. Peabody averages around 56 points a game offensively, but that number drops down to just under 43 points in their seven losses. That includes four games where they have scored 40 points or less, and that is the exact kind of game the Lady Bulldogs should want.

As far as X-factors in this game, there’s two that really stick out for Clay County. First, Sophomore Briley Burchett has kicked her game into gear in the last couple of weeks. The most recent showing was in the substate round against Huntland, where she put up a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double to go along with six steals. Even more important, she only picked up two fouls, meaning she was able to play her game physically without having to hold back due to foul trouble.

The other one may surprise you, but she will not be a surprise to Lady Bulldog supporters, and that’s Bella Ashlock. The 6A Freshman MVP has had a great start to her career in a Clay County jersey, and she is one of the biggest keys to a potential championship run.

Burchett, Rachel Copass and Katie Arms will draw a lot of attention on defense, meaning a big game is certainly in the cards for Ashlock. Her biggest strength is her ability to do a little bit of everything and guard any position on the floor. Against Huntland, Ashlock put together a stat-line of six points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. The one negative to her performance was the fact that she fouled out, which cannot happen for her at the State Tournament,

Again, it all tips off at 10 A.M. on Wednesday morning in Murfreesboro.

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