Zaydyn Anderson (2) and the Greeneville Greene Devils faced the Munford Cougars in a TSSAA Class 3A state tournament quarterfinal at the Charles M. Murphy Athletic Center on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. (Photo by Danny Parker)
BY JESSE SMITHEY
MURFREESBORO — Greeneville junior guard Zaydyn Anderson proved a quick study Thursday on how to shoot in the Murphy Center at Middle Tennesseee State.
There was an early air ball from 3.
And then a bad clank from deep.
After that, though, Anderson looked like he grew up shooting in the place.
Anderson made four treys and scored 13 points while junior standout Trey Thompson had 27 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, as Greeneville ousted Munford in a 3A state quarterfinal, 63-46.
“I just kept shooting. You’re not going to make all of them,” Anderson said. “You have to keep your confidence up and keep shooting.”
All told, Greeneville (25-11) shot 52.4 percent from the 3-point line, connecting on 11 of 21 shots against the Cougars (21-11).
The Greene Devils will face 2025 Mr. Basketball winner Ty Cobb (sophomore, guard) and Upperman (30-3) at 4 p.m. Central time in Friday’s semifinals. Cobb averages 27 points per game and had 28 in Thursday’s win for Upperman.
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THE SECOND HALF
After cooking up a 27-24 lead after 16 minutes with its 3-point shot, Greeneville worked the interior in the third with Thompson to find offense. He had two left-handed takes to the basket and made four free throws to push the Greene Devils’ advantage to 37-30 with 4:52 left in the quarter.
His two foul shots with 30 seconds left in the third made Greeneville’s lead 41-35.
Munford senior Jadyn Lee, who had 10 in the first half, scored every point for Munford in the third — dropping 12 points in the quarter to keep the Cougars close (41-36) with 8 minutes remaining. He then scored Munford’s first four points of the fourth to cut Greeneville’s lead to 43-40 in the opening minute of the final quarter. He wound up scoring 30 Thursday.
Anderson lined in a 3-point try from the left corner to give Greeneville a 48-44 lead with just more than 5 minutes to go, creating some breathing room after a Lee layup had trimmed Greeneville’s lead to just one on the previous possession.
Anderson drilled another 3 for a 55-46 lead at the 2:53 mark.
And then Cole Smith added a dagger from deep on the ensuing possession to create a 12-point buffer.
“That (Munford) zone is tough to play against,” Greeneville coach Brad Woolsey said. “You, basically, had better shoot it well or you’re going to have trouble scoring.
“Thankfully we shot it decent tonight.”
THE FIRST HALF
Greeneville might have started 1-for-7 shooting Thursday but that trend proved short-lived, as the Greene Devils absolutely ate from the perimeter against Munford’s zone.
Greeneville led 14-12 lead after eight minutes and 27-24 at the halftime break.
Thompson scored eight points in the first quarter, knocking down two NBA-length, left-wing 3s to get Greeneville active on the scoreboard.
Thompson popped in his third 3 of the half at the 6:31 mark of the second quarter, moving Greeneville’s advantage to 17-14. He reached the half with 11 points.
Then Cole Franklin joined the perimeter party, burying a pair of right-wing 3s to usher the Greene Devils out front 24-19 by the quarter’s midpoint. He went 3-for-3 from the arc in the first half.
And Anderson’s 3 from the left wing made for Greeneville’s eighth 3 of the half and put it ahead 27-19 with 3:22 remaining in the second.
Munford kept pace with Greeneville, though, making 11 of 17 shots for a 64.7 field-goal percentage.
“We just had to keep stepping on the gas, keep going,” Thompson said of the mentality Greeneville took into the second half.
“Keep pushing it down the floor and playing together.”