The Maryville Rebels faced the Hillsboro Burros in a TSSAA Class 4A 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 — The comeback attempt was a methodical and effective one. But the Maryville boys’ basketball team just couldn’t complete it in time.
Jonathan Woodlee scored 13 and Brody Smith 10, but a bad start to Maryville’s Class 4A state quarterfinal Thursday against Hillsboro relegated the Rebels into playing catch-up ball for the duration.
And while they got as close as three points late, the Rebels fell to Hillsboro 53-47 at MTSU’s Murphy Center.
Maryville (24-13) was seeking its first state tournament win since the 2007 state championship game.
But Hillsboro (32-5) advances to Friday’s 5:30 p.m. Central semifinal against Bradley Central (25-8).
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THE SECOND HALF
After scoring nine before the break, Mr. Basketball finalist Cortez Graham-Howard turned up his game a notch in the third quarter.
He turned a turnaround fadeaway jumper into a 3-point play and then, on the next possession, scored on an acrobatic drive to the lane for a 31-17 lead at the 5:52 mark of the third. He finished with a game-high 17.
After Maryville’s Julian Douglas hit a 3 to cut the deficit to nine, Graham-Howard hit two foul shots to increase Hillsboro’s advantage back to double digits with 3:32 remaining in the third.
Still, Smith and Woodlee tried to ignite a comeback for the Rebels. Both hit mid-range jumpers in the final minute of the third to cut Hillsboro’s lead to 37-31 with a quarter to play. Maryville went on an 8-4 run the final 3 minutes of the third while Graham-Howard sat with four fouls.
Midway through the final quarter, Hillsboro led 43-33.
Maryville whittled the deficit down, though.
Woodlee’s 3 from the wing at the 1:40 mark cut Hillsboro’s lead to 45-42.
Hillsboro scored on a layup on the ensuing possession to create some breathing room for itself, and Maryville helped Hillsboro’s cause with turnovers on its next two possessions. The lead swelled to nine points with 53 seconds to go.
Comeback over.
THE FIRST HALF
Maryville missed its first seven shots Thursday and trailed 11-2 until Julian Douglas’ 3-pointer fell through with 1:52 left in the first quarter. That sparked a little flicker of confidence, and Smith hit a 3 from the left wing at the buzzer to cut Hillsboro’s lead to 14-8.
Luke Sigmund opened the second quarter with a quick score to get Maryville within four.
Smith scored a team-high eight points in the first half and sank his second 3 late in the first half to cut the lead down to eight, but Hillsboro answered right back with a 3 on the ensuing possession.
Hillsboro took a 26-15 lead into the break, having out-rebounded Maryville 17-10 and out-shot Maryville.
The Burros went 9-for-21 (42.9 percent) from the floor to Maryville’s 20-percent clip.
Maryville wound up shooting 40.5 percent for the game.
5STAR PHOTOS powered by SmartBank — Maryville vs. Hillsboro (2025 Class 4A quarterfinal)