DIVISION II-A GIRLS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REPORT: Webb Bell Buckle 66, TKA 59

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BY JESSE SMITHEY

COOKEVILLE — School history was within reach Saturday afternoon for sophomore guard Skylar Walden and The King’s Academy Lady Lions, but all they were able to take hold of by game’s end was fuel for next year.

Ohio State signee and Miss Basketball finalist Daria Biriuk scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, as the Webb Lady Feet outlasted TKA in the final minutes of the Division II-A Girls Basketball championship for a 66-59 win at Tennessee Tech’s Eblen Center.

Walden led the Lady Lions (27-7) with 22 points and seven rebounds, overcoming a frigid shooting start to nearly pilot a heroic second half for the ages. She, Brady Branam, and Matazja Goins made the all-tournament team. Biriuk was tournament MVP.

Coached by Fulton alumnus Brody Curry, Webb Bell Buckle (28-7) claimed its fourth state championship in the last five seasons, preventing TKA from making school history with its first.

The Lady Lions finished runner-up for the second time, the first coming in 2020.

“Probably just use it as motivation to get better throughout the summer and bring it in for next year,” Walden said. “We know what it takes to make it to the state championship. So just do what we did to the state championship and more to get back here — but win it next year.”

 

 

 

Though TKA couldn’t establish Walden nor Wofford signee Branam as scoring threats in the early going, the Lady Lions utilized the perimeter prowess of junior guard Kyle Young to keep within striking distance of Webb Bell Buckle.

Young’s 3 in the final seconds of the first quarter cut Webb’s lead to 13-10. She sank a 24-foot 3 midway through the second quarter to knot the game at 15-all.

Walden’s floater in the lane at the 1:40 mark of the second quarter turned out to be her first made field goal, bringing an end to an 0-for-9 shooting start and also cutting Webb’s lead to 21-19.

The Lady Lions trailed at the break 24-21, knowing they hadn’t even come close to playing their A-game. They had shot 23 percent from the floor. Making 8 of 11 free throws helped offset the cold form.

“At the half, I said, ‘Hey, we’re fine. We really haven’t played a great offensive side of basketball. We’ve played pretty good defense, but we haven’t played offense yet.’ We were very positive about the second half,” said TKA coach Dante Turnipseed.

TKA — Walden, specifically — heated up after half, however.

Walden got a shooter’s-roll 3-pointer to bounce and spin in during the first minute of the second half that gave TKA a 25-24 lead. And her jumper in the lane near the 5-minute mark of the third put TKA up 27-25.

“I just tried to get to the rim some more,” Walden said of snapping out of her funk. “Just kept shooting, because I know I’m a shooter.”

She wasn’t done, either. She sank a 3 at the top of the key for a 30-25 advantage with 4:09 left in the quarter.

That only triggered a back-and-forth scoring match between Walden and Biriuk.

Biriuk responded by hitting consecutive 3s to regain the lead for Webb. TKA tied Webb four more times in the third quarter, but Webb led 43-38 with a quarter remaining.

Walden’s 3 in the opening minute of the fourth put more pressure on Webb’s advantage. But Biriuk answered again on the opposite end with a 3 and 47-41 lead.

Walden came right back with another 3. She went 6-for-12 shooting after halftime.

Biriuk’s pull-up jumper in the lane at the 3:30 mark put Webb out front 52-46.

Matazja Goins’ left-wing 3 for TKA trimmed the deficit to 53-49 with 2:35 remaining.

But a Webb surge in the final minutes proved the final blow, as TKA shots rattled in and out and as Webb got hands in passing lanes for stops.

“I, honestly, don’t think we really did anything wrong (down the stretch),” Walden said in reflection. “It was just us probably having to foul and them getting free throws. They were making their free throws.”

PHOTO GALLERY: TKA vs. Webb BB

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: TKA vs. Webb BB