NASHVILLE, TN — After sitting in second place all season, the Cane Ridge Ravens boys (13-3 overall, 8-0 metro and 6-0 district) has overtaken the Whites Creek Cobras (10-3, 6-1 and 5-0) for the top spot in the Wallace Media Group Metro Sweet 16. The Ravens skipped over the Cobras by virtue of their 55-49 victory over the #6 Hillsboro Burros (10-7, 4-5 and 2-4). Hillsboro defeated Whites Creek for their only metro loss this past November.
The Cobras are on an eight game winning streak and is undefeated in district play. In their highly anticipated match-up against #3 Maplewood (11-3, 6-1 and 4-1), junior guard Isaiah Bowers stole the show scoring 30 points. 2016 Mr. Basketball Bo Hodges of Maplewood was injured early in the first quarter and did not return.
#4 East Nashville (12-4, 6-2 and 4-1) has been the surprise of the season thus far. The scrappy bunch continues to roll up victory after victory with a suffocating defense that leads to easy baskets. Senior point guard Marques Whitmon II leads the state of Tennessee in steals at a 5.8 clip. Junior jumping-jack Jayden Lockett is proving to be one of the best off the ball defenders in the state. He leads the state in blocks per game at 4.1. He also is pulling down an impressive 8.1 rebounds per game. Junior Brian Thompson has double digit rebound performances in 11 of his past 12 games.
The East Nashville Lady Eagles (15-5, 8-0 and 5-0) are proving they aren’t ready to relinquish their Class AA crown. After a shaky two tournaments during the holiday season, the Lady Eagles have reeled off three straight wins including an overtime thriller against #2 Pearl-Cohn (9-3, 4-1 and 4-1). Senior Erica Haynes-Overton has willed her team to thrilling victories all season. None better than her effort against Pearl-Cohn.
Up 11 in the fourth quarter with 4:11 left in the game, Pearl-Cohn star Janiah Sandifer was called for her second technical foul and ejected from the game. Haynes-Overton scored 10 points during the final run including a running jumper in the lane to tie the game at the buzzer. The Lady Eagles then outscored Pearl-Cohn 12-4 in the OT to win the game.
“I told the team that I didn’t like their energy in the first half,” said Lady Eagle head coach Missy Donaldson. “Erica had the lion share of the points but Kyra (Trice) did a lot of things that doesn’t show up in the box score. She guards the opponents best offensive player and battles the whole game. “Q” (Quentarra Mitchell) controlled the boards for us. They all dug in deep to get us back in the game.”
