Bradley Central Girls Win State Title on Hannah Lombard Buzzer Beater

Murfreesboro, TN-(WDEF-TV) The Bradley Central girls won the state title thanks to a great performance from Jamaryn Blair and a super clutch shot from Hannah Lombard. They beat Houston in the Class AAA finals 46-44 to claim their first state championship since 1976.

Bradley Central guard Jamaryn Blair channeled her inner Rhyne Howard against Houston, finishing with 25 points, well over half of the Bearettes points total.
Said Blair:”Last year watching Rhyne Howard play. How she took me under her wing and everything like that. It really taught me a lot on how to be calm. Just stick to the game plan.”
To start the third quarter, Blair calmly completes the three-point play to put Bradley Central up 12-points.
But the lead was gone by the end of the period.
Crunch time for Bradley Central.
They’re down one with roughly 15 seconds left, and they force the turnover.
Bearettes coach Jason Reuter says give me a ‘T-O’.
11 seconds left.
Bearettes need a game winner.
Tension was getting to Bradley Central fans, but not to Hannah Lombard.
Lombard hit the three with one second left as Bradley Central won 46-44.
That was her only basket of the game.
Reporter:”Hannah, the moment when the ball hit the net on the shot, what did you feel?”
Said Lombard:”(sighs) Uh. I think my mind was blown. (chuckles) I didn’t think it would go in at all.”
Said Reuter:”We had so many grinders. You think when’s your luck going to run out? But we had one more in us. Am I surprised it ended in a buzzer beater? No. You could almost feel it. I could feel it coming.”
Lombard appeared more nervous after making the buzzer beater.
She helped deliver the Bearettes first state title in 43 years.
Said Bradley Central’s Anna Walker:”We’re just determined. Every single time we step on the floor. No matter who we play we are ready to accept the challenge. It doesn’t really matter to us, and obviously we took that today.”

Blair led all scorers with her 25 points. Walker added ten points for the Bearettes. Jayla Hemingway paced the Mustangs with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Houston out-rebounded the Bearettes 38-20, but the Bearettes defense held Houston to 33-percent shooting for the game.