Here’s a look at the top boys basketball teams in Middle Tennessee, as ranked by The Tennessean:

Hillsboro senior Thomas Smith (35) shoots over Cane Ridge’s Abduhl Akinola (33) during the first half of a regular-season game.

10. CPA (20-8) — The Lions, who have knocked down 295 3-pointers this season, captured their sixth consecutive district tournament title with Saturday’s 55-26 win over Marshall County. Last week: NR. Streak: Won 6. 

9. Hillsboro (17-7) — The Burros, led by senior forward Thomas Smith, secured their second straight District 12-AAA tournament championship in lopsided fashion Saturday, upsetting top-seeded Cane Ridge 58-32. Last week: NR. Streak: Won 3. 

8. Maplewood (20-4) — The Panthers, who split with Whites Creek during the regular season, will square off with the Cobras in Tuesday’s District 10-AA title game at Lipscomb Academy. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Won 4. 

7. Ensworth (22-5) — The Tigers, led by Mr. Basketball finalist Jordan Bone, wrapped up the regular season with wins over MBA and Baylor, securing the No. 2 seed in Division II-AA East/Middle. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Won 2. 

6. Cane Ridge (23-3) — After taking down previously unbeaten Station Camp in their regular-season finale, the Ravens struggled to a season-low 32 points in Saturday’s 12-AAA championship loss to Hillsboro. Last week: No. 3. Streak: Lost 1. 

5. White County (27-0) — The Warriors, who broke the state record for most 3-pointers in a season during Saturday’s 85-70 semifinal win over Warren County, will face rival Cookeville in Tuesday’s 6-AAA championship. Last week: No. 6. Streak: Won 27. 

4. Independence (25-2) — The Eagles, led by 11-AAA MVP Grayson Murphy, secured their first district tournament championship in school history with Saturday’s 67-52 triumph over Franklin. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Won 3.

3. Station Camp (30-1) — The Bison, coming off a pair of lopsided tournament wins over Portland and Beech, will square off with Mt. Juliet in Tuesday’s District 9-AAA title game. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 2. 

2. Brentwood Academy (26-3) — The East/Middle regular-season champion Eagles, led by region MVP Darius Garland, have strung together five straight wins since suffering narrow defeats to Ensworth and Hamilton Heights. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 5.

1. Blackman (27-0) — The unbeaten Blaze, coming off a 65-34 semifinal win over Stewarts Creek, will square off with rival Oakland in Tuesday’s District 7-AAA championship. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Won 27.

Watch White County make 31 3-point shots in a game
TSSAA district basketball tournament schedules, pairings

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

Here’s a look at the top girls high school basketball teams in Middle Tennessee, as ranked by The Tennessean:

Oakland’s Shelby Gibson (right).

10. Stewarts Creek (22-6) — The Lady Red Hawks, led by first-year coach Lindy Brown King, secured their first region tournament berth in program history with Thursday’s 69-55 district quarterfinal win over Smyrna. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Lost 1.  

9. Upperman (28-2) — The Lady Bees, whose 28 wins are the third-most in the state, will square off with Livingston Academy in Monday’s District 8-AA title game at Tennessee Tech. Last week: No. 10. Streak: Won 22.

8. East Nashville (24-2) — The Lady Eagles, who are averaging 66.7 points per game, can capture their second consecutive District 10-AA championship with a win over Pearl-Cohn on Tuesday. Last week: No. 8. Streak: Won 18. 

7. Rossview (27-1) — The one-loss Lady Hawks avoided an upset in Saturday’s 10-AAA semifinal, squeaking past Clarksville 53-50 to set up Monday’s championship showdown with Henry County. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Won 18.

6. Dickson County (25-3) — The Lady Cougars, led by 11-AAA MVP Emily Beard and senior Vanderbilt signee Lea Lea Carter, defeated Ravenwood 54-44 in Saturday’s district championship. Last week: No. 6. Streak: Won 9.

5. Oakland (22-5) — The reigning Class AAA runner-up Lady Patriots took down Riverdale in Saturday’s 7-AAA semifinal, setting up a championship showdown with rival Blackman on Monday. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Won 6. 

4. Wilson Central (28-0) — The Lady Wildcats faced little resistance en route to securing a second straight district championship appearance, routing their last two opponents (Gallatin and Lebanon) by a combined score of 134-48. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 28. 

3. Riverdale (24-4) — The Lady Warriors were dealt their first double-digit defeat of the season Saturday, suffering a 63-50 setback to Oakland in the 7-AAA semifinals. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Lost 1.

2. Brentwood Academy (23-5) — The DII-AA East/Middle champion Lady Eagles, led by region MVP Sydni Harvey, wrapped up their regular season with a narrow 41-39 win over Father Ryan on Friday. Last week: No. 3. Streak: Won 4.

1. Blackman (24-3) — The Lady Blaze, led by Connecticut signee and McDonald’s All-American Crystal Dangerfield, will square off with rival Oakland in Monday’s District 7-AAA championship. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Won 5.

TSSAA district basketball tournament schedules, pairings

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. 

Lipscomb Academy coach Ritchie Pickens awards an honorary ball to senior John Matt Merritt in recognition of his 1,000th career point

Ritchie Pickens resigned as Lipscomb Academy’s boys basketball coach on Monday.

Pickens, who tallied 142 wins in nine seasons with the Mustangs, will continue to work at as an administrator at Lipscomb, serving as assistant middle school principal.

“It’s basically time for me to step down and let someone else do it; that’s kind of the decision,” Pickens said. “The young men I got to work with have been incredible. Their work ethic and the high level that they compete at and achieve, especially in 10-AA, every day it’s amazing to me how our guys work. That’s what I’ll take away; all those great memories.”

Pickens led the Mustangs to five region tournament appearances, a pair of region championships, three sectional berths and a Class AA semifinal appearance.

“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Ritchie for more than 25 years and have always been impressed with the passion, toughness and energy his players display,” Lipscomb athletic director Mike Roller said. “Ritchie has poured himself into our boys basketball program, and I could not be more grateful for the work he has done helping mold young men into great leaders.”

The Mustangs finished with a 10-12 regular-season record in 2015-16 before suffering a 44-39 season-ending defeat to Hume-Fogg in last Wednesday’s District 10-AA quarterfinal.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. 

Here’s a look at schedules/results for the upcoming region basketball tournaments, along with the Division II postseason:

TSSAA postseason basketball pairings, results

(NOTE: This page will be continuously updated as results become available)

Division II-A

SUB-STATE PAIRINGS

Girls
Friday
USJ at Ezell-Harding
Knoxville Webb vs. Harding Acad.
Lausanne at FRA
BGA at Northpoint

Boys
Saturday
USJ at Knoxville Webb, 5 p.m.
USN at Harding Acad., 7 p.m.
St. George’s at FRA, 7 p.m.
BGA at Lausanne, 7 p.m.

* The Division II-A state tournament will be held March 3-5 at Lipscomb University. 

Division II-AA

FIRST-ROUND PAIRINGS

Girls
Tuesday
Hutchison 43, St. Agnes 45
Father Ryan 57, GPS 26
Ensworth 52, Pope John Paul II 33

Boys
Tuesday
Briarcrest 71, St. Benedict 45
Pope John Paul II 47, Father Ryan 46
Baylor 56, MBA 48

QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS

Girls
Friday
Hutchison at Brentwood Academy
Harpeth Hall at Briarcrest
Father Ryan at Baylor
Ensworth at St. Benedict

Boys
Saturday
Briarcrest at Brentwood Academy
McCallie at MUS
Pope John Paul II at Ensworth
Baylor at Christian Brothers

* The Division II-AA state tournament will be held March 3-5 at Lipscomb University. 

Region 4-A

Girls
Friday
Gordonsville at Pickett Co., 7 p.m.
Clarkrange at Watertown, 7 p.m.
Clay Co. at Goodpasture, 7 p.m.
Red Boiling Springs at Jackson Co., 7 p.m.
Monday (at Livingston Acad.)
Gordonvsille/Pickett Co. vs. Clarkrange/Watertown, 6 p.m.
Clay Co./Goodpasture vs. Red Boiling Springs/Jackson Co., 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday (at Livingston Acad.)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Boys
Saturday 
Merrol Hyde at Clay Co., 7 p.m.
Pickett Co. at Watertown, 7 p.m.
Jackson Co. at Goodpasture, 7 p.m.
Gordonvsille at Clarkrange, 7 p.m.
Tuesday (at Livingston Acad.)
Clay Co./Merrol Hyde vs. Watertown/Pickett Co., 6 p.m.
Goodpasture/Jackson Co. vs. Clarkrange/Gordonvsille, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday (at Livingston Acad.)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Region 5-A

Girls
Friday
Nashville Christian at MTCS, 6 p.m.
Clarksville Acad. at Community, 7 p.m.
Forrest at McEwen, 7 p.m. 
Eagleville at Houston Co., 7 p.m.
Monday (at McEwen HS)
Comminity/Clarksville Acad. vs. McEwen/Forrest, 6 p.m.
Houston Co./Eagleville vs. MTCS/Nashville Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday (at McEwen HS)
Championship

Boys
Saturday 
McEwen at Huntland, 7 p.m.
MTCS at LEAD Acad., 7 p.m.
Fayetteville at Nashville Christian, 7 p.m.
East Robertson at Community, 7 p.m.
Tuesday (at McEwen HS)
Huntland/McEwen vs. MTCS/LEAD, 6 p.m.
Nashville Christian/Fayetteville vs. Community/East Robertson, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday (at McEwen HS)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Region 6-A

Girls
Friday
Loretto at Columbia Acad., 7 p.m.
Richland at Frank Hughes, 7 p.m.
Cornersville at Perry Co., 7 p.m.
Summertown at Hampshire, 7 p.m.
Monday (at Perry County HS)
Columbia Acad./Loretto vs. Frank Hughes/Richland, 6 p.m.
Perry Co./Cornersville vs. Hampshire/Summertown, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Championship, 7 p.m.

Boys
Saturday 
Collinwood at Columbia Acad., 7 p.m.
Grace-Franklin at Wayne Co., 7 p.m.
Richland at Loretto, 7 p.m.
Summertown at Mt. Pleasant, 7 p.m.
Tuesday (at Wayne Co. HS)
Collinwood/Columbia Acad. vs. Wayne Co./Grace, 6 p.m.
Richland/Loretto vs. Mt. Pleasant/Summertown, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday (at Wayne Co. HS)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Region 4-AA

Girls
Friday 
Smith Co. at Signal Mountain, 7 p.m.
Bledsoe Co. at Livingston Acad., 7 p.m.
Notre Dame at Upperman, 7 p.m.
DeKalb Co. at Sequatchie Co., 7 p.m.
Monday (at Tennessee Tech)
Signal Mtn./Smith Co. vs. Livingston/Bledsoe Co., 6 p.m.
Upperman/Notre Dame vs. Sequatchie/DeKalb Co., 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday (at Tennessee Tech)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Boys
Saturday 
York Inst. at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Sequatchie at Macon Co., 7 p.m.
Signal Mtn. at Upperman, 7 p.m.
Smith Co. at Chattanooga Christian, 7 p.m.
Tuesday (at Tennessee Tech)
York/Notre Dame vs. Macon/Sequatchie Co., 6 p.m.
Upperman/Signal Mtn. vs. Chattanooga Christian/Smith Co., 7:45 p.m.
Thursday (at Tennessee Tech)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Region 5-AA

Girls
Friday 
Maplewood at Cheatham Co., 7 p.m.
Westmoreland at Pearl-Cohn, 7 p.m.
WH Heritage at East Nashville, 7 p.m.
Lipscomb Acad. at Sycamore, 7 p.m.
Monday (at Lipscomb Acad.)
Maplewood/Cheatham Co. vs. Westmoreland/Pearl-Cohn, 6 p.m.
East Nashville/ WH Heritage vs. Sycamore/Lipscomb, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday (at Lipscomb Acad.)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Boys
Saturday 
Hume-Fogg at Cheatham Co., 7 p.m.
Westmoreland at Maplewood, 7 p.m.
Harpeth at Whites Creek, 7 p.m.
East Nashville at White House, 7 p.m.
Tuesday (at Lipscomb Acad.)
Hume-Fogg/Cheatham Co. vs. Westmoreland/Maplewood, 6 p.m.
Harpeth/Whites Creek vs. East Nashville/White House, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday (at Lipscomb Acad.)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Region 6-AA

Girls
Friday 
Cascade at Creek Wood, 7 p.m.
East Hickman at Giles Co., 7 p.m.
Stewart Co. at CPA, 7 p.m.
Page at Lewis Co., 7 p.m.
Monday (at Spring Hill HS)
Cascade/Creek Wood vs, East Hickman/Giles Co., 6 p.m.
Stewart Co./CPA vs. Lewis Co./Page, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday (at Spring Hill HS)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Boys
Saturday 
Cascade at Creek Wood, 7 p.m.
Camden at Marshall Co., 7 p.m.
Montgomery Central at CPA, 7 p.m.
Giles Co. at Stewart Co., 7 p.m.
Tuesday (at Spring Hill HS)
Creek Wood/Cascade vs Marshall Co./Camden, 6 p.m.
CPA/Montgomery Central vs. Stewart Co./Giles Co., 7:45 p.m.
Thursday (at Spring Hill HS)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Region 3-AAA

Girls
Friday 
Stone Memorial at Bradley Central, 7 p.m.
East Hamilton at Cookeville, 7 p.m.
Walker Valley at Cumberland Co., 7 p.m.
White Co. at McMinn. Co., 7 p.m. 
Monday 
Stone Memorial/Bradley Central vs. Cookeville/East Hamilton, 6 p.m.
Cumberland Co./Walker Valley vs. McMinn Co./White Co., 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 
Championship, 7 p.m.

Boys
Saturday 
McMinn Co. at White County, 5:30 p.m.
Cumberland Co. at Walker Valley, 7 p.m.
Cleveland at Cookeville, 7 p.m.
Warren Co. at Bradley Central, 7 p.m.
Tuesday 
Cumberland Co./Walker Valley vs. Cookeville/Cleveland, 6 p.m.
White Co./McMinn Co. vs. Columbia/Oakland, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday 
Championship, 7 p.m.

Region 4-AAA

Girls
Friday 
Franklin Co. at Blackman, 7 p.m.
Riverdale at Shelbyville, 7 p.m.
Stewarts Creek at Lawrence Co., 7 p.m.
Lincoln Co. at Oakland, 7 p.m.
Monday (at Franklin Co. HS)
Franklin Co./Blackman vs. Lawrence Co./Stewarts Creek, 6 p.m.
Lawrence Co./Stewarts Creek vs. Oakland/Lincoln Co., 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday (at Franklin Co. HS)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Boys
Saturday 
Shelbyville at Blackman, 7 p.m.
La Vergne at Franklin Co., 7 p.m.
Stewarts Creek at Lawrence Co., 7 p.m.
Columbia at Oakland, 7 p.m.
Tuesday (at Franklin Co. HS)
Shelbyville/Blackman vs. Franklin Co./La Vergne, 6 p.m.
Lawrence Co./Stewarts Creek vs. Columbia/Oakland, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday (at Franklin Co. HS)
Championship

Region 5-AAA

Girls
Friday 
Springfield at Wilson Central, 7 p.m.
Mt. Juliet at Henry Co., 7 p.m.
Lebanon at Rossview, 7 p.m.
Clarksville at Beech, 7 p.m.
Monday (at Clarksville HS)
Wilson Central/Springfield vs. Henry Co./Mt. Juliet, 6 p.m.
Rossview/Lebanon vs. Beech/Clarksville, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday (at Clarksville HS)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Boys
Saturday 
Clarksville NW at Station Camp, 7 p.m.
Lebanon at Kenwood, 7 p.m.
Beech at Springfield, 7 p.m.
Rossview at Mt. Juliet, 7 p.m.
Tuesday (at Clarksville HS)
Station Camp/Northwest vs. Lebanon/Kenwood, 6 p.m.
Springfield/Beech vs. Mt. Juliet/Rossview, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday (at Clarksville HS)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Region 6-AAA

Girls
Friday (at Cane Ridge HS)
Glencliff at Dickson Co., 3:30 p.m.
Summit vs. Antioch, 5 p.m.
Franklin vs. Cane Ridge, 6:30 p.m.
Hunters Lane vs. Ravenwood, 8 p.m.
Monday (at Cane Ridge HS)
Glencliff/Dickson Co. vs. Summit/Antioch, 6 p.m.
Cane Ridge/Franklin vs. Hunters Lane/Ravenwood, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday (at Cane Ridge HS)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Boys
Saturday (at Cane Ridge HS)
McGavock vs. Independence, 3:30 p.m.
Centennial at Cane Ridge, 5 p.m.
Dickson Co. at Hillsboro, 6:30 p.m.
Hillwood at Franklin, 8 p.m.
Tuesday (at Cane Ridge HS)
McGavock/Independnece vs. Cane Ridge/Centennial, 6 p.m.
Hillsboro/Dickson Co. vs. Franklin/Hillwood, 7:45 p.m.
Thursday (at Cane Ridge HS)
Championship, 7 p.m.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.

East Nashville senior Le’jzae Davidson has knocked down a team-high 91 3-pointers this season.

East Nashville sophomore Kaia Upton.

East Nashville’s Erica Haynes-Overton is averaging a team-leading 20 points per game this season.

Over the past two seasons, the East Nashville girls basketball program has blossomed into a Metro powerhouse, piling up 51 wins and a pair of District 10-AA titles.

East Nashville sophomore Kaia Upton (14), senior Le’jzae Davidson (10) and junior Erica Haynes-Overton (20) have been key to the Lady Eagles’ success.

East Nashville, however, which suffered a Region 5-AA semifinal defeat to MLK a season ago, never has reached the sectionals.

And while last season’s squad probably carried a similar level on confidence into the postseason before running into the eventual Class AA champion Lady Royals, this year feels different.

“We’re very confident,” sophomore Kaia Upton said after Tuesday’s 55-49 district championship win over rival Pearl-Cohn — her team’s 19th straight victory. “Everybody has been saying this is our year.”

That certainly appears to be the case.

The 25-2 Lady Eagles, led by a trio of double-digit scorers in Upton (13.5 points per game), junior Erica Haynes-Overton (20.0) and senior Le’jzae Davidson (17.5), haven’t been beaten since suffering a one-point setback to Lipscomb on Dec. 11 — a loss they later avenged with a 69-39 rout of the Lady Mustangs on Jan. 28.

East Nashville coach Lois Donaldson instructs her team in a timeout during Tuesday’s District 10-AA championship.

“It has been a great season altogether with the bond that we have,” Davidson said. “We’re just like sisters. On and off the court, we’re tight, so this season has just been like having fun with my girls.”

They’ve had some close calls during the current winning streak, including a 58-55 overtime win over 10-AA runner-up Pearl-Cohn on Feb. 14, but their average margin of victory has been upwards of 30 points per contest.

“I’ve had a lot of these same kids the year we only won five games, so they’ve faced a lot of adversity together, worked through it and gotten better,” fifth-year coach Lois Donaldson said. “They’ll do the things you suggest, and sometimes make up stuff in between that makes me look brilliant. You can’t really call it coaching if you just make suggestions.”

That might be a bit of an oversimplification, but with the amount of talent and experience that East Nashville’s not-so-big three bring to the floor, it absolutely can appear as though the Lady Eagles are operating on cruise control.

“They have a lot of similarities — the will to compete and the will to win — but I think they each bring different packages to the party,” Donaldson said.

TSSAA postseason basketball pairings, results

Davidson, a 5-foot-6 guard, has made 92 3-pointers on the season, shooting a team-leading 38 percent from beyond the arc.

“She’s itty bitty, but she does a great job of creating space and getting the deep 3 off,” Donaldson said. “She’s a great shooter.”

Davidson has signed to play basketball at Furman next season, but she’s not the only Division I caliber player on East Nashville’s roster.

Haynes-Overton, who, in addition to scoring, also leads the Lady Eagles in rebounding (8.8 rpg), steals (7.7 spg) and blocked shots (1.4 bpg), has received scholarship offers from Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Lipscomb and Tennessee State.

“Erica is the total all-around player,” Donaldson said of the 5-foot-9 forward, who has registered eight double-doubles and seven triple-doubles this season. “She can shoot the 3, she does a lot off the dribble, she has great athletic ability and she’s a really hard-nosed player.”

Upton, whose older brother Isiah was a former two-sport star at East Nashville before signing to play football at MTSU, already holds a scholarship offer from Lipscomb, and the 5-foot-7 guard is also receiving recruiting interest from Belmont, Chattanooga, East Tennessee State and Tennessee State.

“With as good as Le’jzae and Erica are, I don’t think they compare with Kaia just as far as her presence on the floor,” Donaldson said. “She comes from a very athletic family, and I actually had her as an eighth-grader so this is her third season with me.”

East Nashville, which also suffered a season-opening loss to highly ranked Class AAA squad Riverdale, will host Friday’s Region 5-AA quarterfinal against White House-Heritage — the No. 4 seed from District 9-AA — while Monday’s semifinals and Wednesday’s championship will be held at Lipscomb Academy.

“It’s great to see them having this type of success,” Donaldson said, “and I hope we can continue it for a little longer.”

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. 

BIG THREE CONTRIBUTORS

A look at the stats for East Nashville’s trio:

Name, Year                           FGM-A (FG%)    PTS    REB   AST    STL
Le’Jzae Davidson, Sr.         163-389 (42%)    17.7     2.8      2.6      3.6
Erica Haynes-Overton, Jr.       212-395 (54%)    20.0     8.8      3.3      7.7
Kaia Upton, Soph.                 118-264 (45%)    13.5     4.5      4.2      3.3

Antioch junior Areyanna Majors elevates for a first-half jumper during Friday’s Region 6-AAA quarterfinal against Summit at Cane Ridge High School.

The Summit High School girls put together a 22-point fourth-quarter in Friday’s 6-AAA quarterfinal game at Cane Ridge High School and coasted to a 52-27 triumph over Antioch to capture the first region tournament win in the young program’s history.

“It means a lot,” Summit junior Zacharyia Esmon said. “We’ve been talking about that a lot at practice, and it has kind of helped motivate us throughout the whole year, making history and setting records for our school.”

“It’s a great thing, and it’s an even better thing to have it over with,” said Summit coach Josh Goodwin, who wasn’t exactly blown away by his squad’s performance on Friday.

“We have to understand that if we want to be a top team — a championship-caliber team — we can’t play quarters at a time, we have to play 32 minutes. We got away with it again tonight.”

Juniors Olivia Colson (12) and Ashton Arnold (11) also finished in double-figures for Summit, which will take on top-seeded Dickson County in Monday’s 6 p.m. semifinal at Cane Ridge. The Lady Cougars rolled past Glencliff 87-24 in the first of the four games played at Cane Ridge on Friday.

“If we decide to take a quarter off or a couple minutes off, (Dickson County) will make us pay and make us pay quickly,” Goodwin said.

The third-seeded Lady Spartans (16-13), led by Esmon’s game-high 14-points, held an 11-point halftime advantage, but midway through a quiet third quarter, No. 2 Antioch had clawed its way back, pulling to within 28-21 on Destiny Johnson’s free throw.

“We played a little man to man just to try to speed it up and get some steals,” said District 12-AAA Coach of the Year Antoine Buchanan. “It worked, we just couldn’t put the ball in the bucket and we gave up too many run-outs.

“Ultimately they just didn’t fall and the clock ran out on us.”

Senior Zykirria Washington finished with a team-high seven points for the Lady Bears (18-11), who failed to sink a 3-pointer in the defeat, while Areyanna Majors and Dominique Lee each contributed six.

“They actually got out of the zone, which helped us a lot,” Esmon said. “We got up the court and were able to get into transition really fast. We got a lot of buckets out of that.”

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.

Summit sophomore Olivia Colson (left) looks for a passing lane around Antioch senior Shontoia Blackburn during Friday’s Region 6-AAA quarterfinal at Cane Ridge High School.

Here’s a look at the top 10 high school boys basketball teams in Middle Tennessee, as ranked by The Tennessean.

Blackman’s Christian Dewitt (left) elevates for a layup over Oakland’s Kaleb Oliver.

10. CPA (21-8) — The Lions, averaging over 10 3-pointers per game, have outscored their first three postseason opponents by a combined 26.6 points. Last week: No. 10. Streak: Won 7. 

9. Hillsboro (18-7) — The District 12-AAA champion Burros survived a scare in Saturday’s region quarterfinals, coming from behind to eventually beat fourth-seeded Dickson County 62-53. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Won 4. 

8. Maplewood (21-5) —  Bo Hodges and the District 10-AA runner-up Panthers will square off with fellow Mr. Basketball finalist Austin Douglas of Cheatham County in Tuesday’s Region 5-AA semifinals. Last week: No. 8. Streak: Won 5. 

7. Ensworth (23-5) —  The East/Middle Region runner-up Tigers, led by senior Tennessee signee Jordan Bone, secured a trip to the Division II-AA state tournament with Saturday’s 63-43 win over Pope John Paul II. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Won 3.

6. Cane Ridge (24-3) —  The Ravens, led by seniors Jimmy Greer and Kyree Elder, can capture the program’s first region semifinal win on Tuesday against 11-AAA champion Independence. Last week: No. 6. Streak: Won 1. 

The Tennessean Midstate girls basketball top 10
TSSAA postseason basketball pairings, results

5. White County (29-0) —  Senior Jacob Fresh knocked down five 3-pointers and finished with game-high 25 points in Saturday’s 92-43 win for the Warriors, who are averaging a state-leading 80.7 points per game. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Won 29. 

4. Independence (26-2) —  The Eagles, who’ve won four straight since being upset by Brentwood on Feb. 8, can secure their first region semifinal win in program history Tuesday against 12-AAA runner-up Cane Ridge. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 4. 

3. Station Camp (32-1) —  The Bison escaped with a 60-56 quarterfinal win over Clarksville Northwest on Saturday to set up Tuesday’s semifinal matchup with Lebanon — a team they’ve beaten twice already this season. Last week: No. 3. Streak: Won 4. 

2. Brentwood Academy (27-3) —  The defending Division II-AA champion Eagles coasted to a second straight state tournament appearance with Saturday’s 40-point throttling of Briarcrest. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 6. 

1. Blackman (29-0) —  The unbeaten Blaze blasted Shelbyville 71-26 in Saturday’s Region 4-AAA quarterfinal, setting up a semifinal matchup with La Vergne on Tuesday. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Won 29.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

Here are the top 10 high school girls basketball teams in Middle Tennessee, as ranked by The Tennessean:

Ezell-Harding’s Marci Sneed (12)

10. Ezell-Harding (27-4) — The district and region champion Lady Eagles, who’ve reeled off seven straight wins this postseason, will face Knoxville Webb in Friday’s Division II-A state semifinal at Lipscomb University. Last week: No. 10. Streak: Won 7.

9. Upperman (30-2) — The Lady Bees’ defense was in rare form in Friday’s 51-point region quarterfinal win over Notre Dame, limiting the Lady Irish to just 22 points. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Won 24. 

8. East Nashville (26-2) —  Senior Furman signee Le’jzae Davidson hit four 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 20 points in the Lady Eagles’ 64-39 region quarterfinal win over White House Heritage on Friday. Last week: No. 8. Streak: Won 20. 

7. Rossview (29-1) —  The Lady Hawks, who haven’t lost since mid-December, rolled into the Region 5-AAA semifinals with Friday’s 62-41 win over Lebanon. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Won 20.

6. Dickson County (26-3) —  The Lady Cougars, who’ll face Summit in Monday’s Region 6-AAA semifinals, stretched their win streak to double digits with Friday’s 87-24 quarterfinal triumph over Glencliff. Last week: No. 6. Streak: Won 10.

The Tennessean Midstate boys basketball top 10
TSSAA postseason basketball pairings, results

5. Oakland (23-6) —  The Lady Patriots, coming off a 69-31 quarterfinal victory over Lincoln County, can secure a third straight region championship berth with a win over Stewarts Creek on Monday. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Won 1. 

4. Wilson Central (30-0) —  The Lady Wildcats, one of just three unbeaten girls teams in the state, will square off with rival Mt. Juliet for the third time this season in Monday’s Region 5-AAA semifinals. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 30. 

3. Riverdale (26-4) — The Lady Warriors, who dropped both of their regular-season games against rival Blackman, will get their third crack at the top-ranked Lady Blaze in Tuesday’s Region 4-AAA semifinals. Last week: No. 3. Streak: Won 2.

2. Brentwood Academy (24-5) —  The Lady Eagles, who coasted to a 77-42 quarterfinal win over Hutchison, will take on Harpeth Hall in Friday’s Division II-AA semifinals at Lipscomb University. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 5.

1. Blackman (27-3) —  The two-time defending Class AAA champion Lady Blaze, ranked 16th in the USA Today Super 25 national rankings, limited Franklin County to just 15 points in Friday’s Region 4-AAA quarterfinal win. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Won 7. 

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

Darrin Joines resigned as Beech High School’s boys basketball coach on Monday.

Darrin Joines posted a 308-189 record in 16 seasons at Beech.

Joines, whose Buccaneers suffered a 64-46 region quarterfinal loss to Springfield on Saturday, tallied more than 300 wins in his 16 seasons at the Sumner County school, which included a pair of Class AAA state tournament appearances.

“This is not an emotional decision, but rather one I contemplated two years ago and decided before this season started,” Joines said in a prepared statement. “In fact, if emotion were involved, I would remain as head coach.”

Joines, who took over before the 2000-01 season, compiled a 308-189 record at Beech, guiding the Buccaneers to seven District 9-AAA regular season and tournament titles, one Region 5-AAA championship, three sectional appearances and a pair of state quarterfinal finishes.

“Although many may expect some type of grand statement or reason for my resignation, I am following my gut feeling, which is to let someone else lead the program,” Joines said. “Beech boys basketball is on solid ground going forward. I am confident the next coach will have a team that will not only be competitive, but will also soon vie for district and region championships.”

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.

TSSAA postseason basketball pairings, results
The Tennessean Midstate boys basketball top 10

East Nashville senior Le’Jzae Davidson surveys the floor during the first half of Monday’s Region 5-AA semifinal against Sycamore.

East Nashville senior Le’Jzae Davidson wasn’t the biggest fan of Lipscomb Academy’s gymnasium — the site of this season’s District 10-AA and Region 5-AA tournaments.

That was before Monday’s 70-44 region semifinal win over Sycamore, though.

“It felt pretty good making some shots because lately I haven’t really been making shots in the Lipscomb gym,” Davidson said. “My teammates were getting me the ball at the right time, and I knew when to shoot it or find an open teammate.”

Davidson, a senior Furman signee, posted a double-double on Monday, tallying 20 points and 10 assists in the sectional-clinching victory, while sophomore teammate Kaia Upton added 21 points and four steals in a physical, fast-paced matchup that featured a combined 44 personal fouls.

“We’re really excited that our kids will get to move on to the next level, and going to sectionals is the next level,” said East Nashville coach Lois Donaldson, whose squad first will square off with Cheatham County in Wednesday’s Region 10-AA championship at Lipscomb Academy. “Of course we have our work cut out for us in the region finals.”

East Nashville (27-2), which shot just over 45 percent from the field Monday, outscored Sycamore 21-7 in the second quarter to claim a 33-15 halftime advantage. And while Sycamore made a slight third-quarter push, trimming their deficit to 12 on Colby Hunter’s third consecutive 3-pointer, it was as close as the Lady War Eagles came.

Hunter finished with a team-high 21 points for Sycamore (20-10), which committed 27 turnovers, while teammate Camryn Denney added 11 in the season-ending defeat.

“They forced us into a tempo that we’re not used to running, and it showed up in the first half,” Sycamore coach Derek Denney said. “They put you in a hurry, and that’s not our style of play. When we get in a hurry we turn the ball over, and they were getting easy layups at the other end.”

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

Cane Ridge’s Kyree Elder elevates for a first-quarter layup during Tuesday’s Region 6-AAA semifinal against Independence.

Independence’s Patrick Murphy (3) elevates for a second-quarter layup over Cane Ridge’s Shawn Pirtle during Tuesday’s Region 6-AAA semifinal.

The Independence boys basketball team secured its first sectional berth in program history by outlasting Cane Ridge 61-56 in Tuesday’s Region 6-AAA semifinal.

Junior Grayson Murphy scored 24 points to lead District 11-AAA champion Independence (27-2), which used a 17-0 first-half spurt to seize control and held off a furious second-half rally by the host Ravens (24-4). Independence will face Hillsboro at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Region 12-AAA championship.

“It’s surreal man,” said Murphy, who scored 42 in a quarterfinal win over McGavock on Saturday. “It was all smiles after the game. We’ve worked hard for this starting in the summer up until now. We deserve it.”

Junior Greg Miller buried back-to-back 3-pointers late in the first to spark Independence’s run. Cane Ridge, meanwhile, went ice cold for the roughly four-minute stretch, allowing the Eagles to a seize a 30-17 halftime advantage.

“They weren’t going to go away,” Independence coach Greg Glass said. “They’re well coached, they’re athletic and they’re very long. They were able to get some turnovers and chip away and get back into the game.”

District 12-AAA runner-up Cane Ridge, led by senior Kyree Elder’s game-high 27 points, regained its rhythm after the break, pulling to within 43-38 on Elder’s layup with 2:21 left in the third quarter.

“It’s an amazing thing with kids … they make some shots and the energy picks up on defense,” Cane Ridge coach Marlin Simms said. “You always try to teach your kids that offense shouldn’t dictate defense, but in the reality of life, it does.”

The Ravens pulled to within 58-55 on a Jimmy Greer 3-pointer with 25 seconds left in the game but they were unable to muster enough stops down the stretch.

“We kept fighting, kept plugging away and kept bleeding with each other,” Simms said. “They’ve had fight in them all season. It’s easy to lay down in a situation like that, and we didn’t. I was proud of our young men for that.”

Sophomore Damion Baugh finished with 13 points for the Ravens, who hit just three 3-pointers after burying 13 in last week’s quarterfinal win over Centennial, while Greer added 10.

Malcolm Walker finished with 15 points and Miller added 14 for Independence.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

Franklin Road Academy’s Clarence Fayne (15) looks for an opening against Lausanne’s Jesse Neloms (12) in the DII-A semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016.

Franklin Road Academy’s Spence Jones (00) advances past Lausanne’s Ashton Smith (20) in the DII-A semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016.

Franklin Road Academy’s Brennan Crook (4) drives past Lausanne’s Jesse Neloms (12) in the DII-A semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016.

Franklin Road Academy fans celebrate as the players exit the court after their DII-A semifinals victory against Lausanne at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016..

Franklin Road Academy’s Jack Doherty (13) shoots past Lausanne’s Isaiah Stokes (15) and Adam Boyce (1) in the DII-A semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016.

Franklin Road Academy’s Roland Stevens, right, and Lausanne’s Adam Boyce chase a loose ball in the DII-A semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016.

Franklin Road Academy’s Spence Jones, right, dives for the ball with Lausanne’s James Babb during the DII-A semifinals game at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016.

Franklin Road Academy’s Kenny Cooper (21) pushes past Lausanne’s Rayshad Williams (4) in the DII-A semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016.

Franklin Road Academy’s Nick Murphy (3) fights with Lausanne’s Rayshad Williams (4) for the ball in the DII-A semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016.

Franklin Road Academy’s Roland Stevens (12) and Kenny Cooper (21) celebrate after defeating Lausanne in the DII-A semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 3, 2016.

The Franklin Road Academy boys basketball team used a dominating third-quarter effort to defeat Lausanne 57-51 in Thursday’s Division II-A semifinals at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena.

Senior Kenny Cooper tallied a game-high 21 points to lead the Panthers, who outscored the Lynx 18-4 in the decisive third quarter to help secure the program’s second state semifinal victory in three seasons.

“It always starts with defense,” said Cooper, whose team faced a 29-26 deficit at halftime. “The very first play of the third quarter Brennan (Crook) got a steal and we were off to the races.  Every third quarter this year where we’ve been down or it’s a close game, we take pride in our defense and come out with pressure.

“It turns into offense.”

Three consecutive 3-pointers from Lausanne junior Jesse Neloms provided the Lynx (18-11) with a little second-quarter breathing room — a 28-22 advantage with 1:16 remaining — but a driving layup by junior Jack Doherty, followed by a pair of free throws from Cooper, brought the Panthers to within three at the half.

Doherty, who did his best down low against Lausanne’s 6-foot-8 center Isaiah Stokes, finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and a block for FRA.

“Isaiah Stokes is a great player,” said the 6-foot-4 Doherty. “He’s a load down there, but I’m kind of used to it just from playing summer ball, seeing people his size and playing against them all summer.”

After establishing a 44-33 advantage after three quarters, the Panthers slowed things down in the fourth. That, coupled with Lausanne stepping up its defensive pressure, resulted in 18 fourth-quarter trips to the free throw line for the Panthers.

Crook, who finished with 16 points, knocked down 8 of 12 from the stripe in the final quarter.

“They were denying me the ball and making it hard on me, but I trusted my teammates,” Cooper said.

“We tried our best to prepare for it, their athleticism and pressure, but we had a hard time simulating that in practice,” added FRA coach John Pierce. “We did a great job of handling it in the fourth quarter.

“I felt like it was never going to end.”

The Panthers will play Harding Academy in Saturday’s 3 p.m. championship game at Lipscomb University.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

The Brentwood Academy girls basketball team secured its fourth straight trip to the Division II-AA state championship behind Friday’s convincing 68-49 semifinal victory over Harpeth Hall.

Brentwood Academy (25-5) will take on Baylor (23-7) in Saturday’s 5:30 p.m. championship game at Lipscomb University.

The two time-defending champion Lady Eagles (25-5), led by senior Breuna Jackson’s game-high 17 points, began both halves with a bang, stringing together a 10-0 run to start the game before returning from halftime with a 15-0 spurt.

“We wanted to be the aggressor,” Brentwood Academy coach Rhonda Brown said. “We played them twice before and knew that if we could speed them up hopefully they’d throw it to us a couple of times.”

Harpeth Hall, which committed 20 turnovers while shooting just 28 percent from the field, settled down and eventually found its rhythm after the slow start, pulling to within 23-18 on a Mary Triplett 3-pointer with 4:49 left in the first half.

However, Brentwood Academy outscored the Lady Bears 8-0 in the final 1:20 of the first half to claim a 32-20 advantage at the break.

“That was tough,” Triplett said. “We tried to keep our heads up and keep going, but their press, I think that is what got us at the beginning of the game and at the end of the first half.”

Triplett, who shot 4-of-6 from 3-point range, tallied a team-high 14 points for Harpeth Hall (20-8).

“I think we beat ourselves,” Lady Bears coach Anne Johnston said. “You can’t beat a team like that by shooting 25 percent with double-digit turnovers … You can’t have any lapses against them because they’re going to take advantage.”

Two-time Division II-AA Miss Basketball finalist Sydni Harvey finished with 13 points for the Lady Eagles, who converted on 24 of their 29 trips to the free throw line. Makaila Wilson added 12 points and six rebounds.

“It’s always important for us to come out with intensity and just don’t let up,” said Jackson, who finished 6-of-6 from the field. “That’s how we play. Just don’t let up.”

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

Brentwood Academy’s Makaila Wilson (14) is fouled while shooting against Harpeth Hall’s Mary Triplett (3) during the TSSAA DII-AA semifinals at Lipscomb University on March 4, 2016.

FRA’s Kenny Cooper (21) is foulded by Harding Academy’s Larry Crum (1) during the TSSAA DII-A boys basketball championship game at Lipscomb University on Saturday, March 5, 2016.

FR’s Jack Doherty (13) scores against Harding Academy’s Anthony Yarbroughduring the TSSAA DII-A boys basketball championship game at Lipscomb University on Saturday, March 5, 2016.

FRA’s Kenny Cooper (21) is fouled by Harding Academy’s Calvin Austin (0) during the TSSAA DII-A boys basketball championship game at Lipscomb University on Saturday, March 5, 2016.

The Franklin Road Academy boys basketball team couldn’t have written a better script for the first half of Saturday’s Division II-A championship game at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena.

FRA players react after losing 87-84 in overtime to Harding Academy during the TSSAA DII-A boys basketball championship game at Lipscomb University on March 5, 2016.

But the ending did not turn out the way the Panthers wanted. They squandered a 31-point third-quarter lead against Harding Academy and lost 87-84 in overtime.

“We gave the game away, it’s as simple as that,” FRA senior Kenny Cooper said. “We turned the ball over too much, missed free throws down the stretch and here we are.

“Up 30 in the third quarter, we simply let it slip away.”

The Panthers (25-8), chasing their first state basketball title, were red hot to start things off, sinking eight of their first 11 shots en route to establishing an 17-4 advantage midway through the opening quarter.

Their lead had swelled to 63-32 midway through the third quarter, but that’s about the time things went off the rails for FRA.

“I told coach (Kevin) Starks … I was going to have these last 16 minutes and was going to bust my butt for him,” Harding Academy senior Larry Crum said. “And no matter what, I told him we were going to win. We could have been down 40 or 50, we were still going to win it.

“It was our turn.”

Crum and company did just that, stringing together a 19-2 run to close out the third quarter before staging a 16-2 spurt to open the fourth.

“Harding is an emotional team, and what we wanted was to keep them from playing with so much emotion,” FRA coach John Pierce said. “The first part of the game I felt like we kept their energy level pretty low, and that kind of stopped in the third quarter.

“It just snowballed.”

Lions senior and tournament MVP Anthony Yarbrough knocked down a mid-range jumper to spot Harding Academy a 79-77 advantage in overtime— the team’s first lead in 32:33.

“We didn’t have a problem with him in the first half,” Cooper said of Yarbrough, who scored 32 of his game-high 40 points in the second half and overtime. “He’s really good going to his left, he can hit a jump shot and he’s just hard to guard.”

Junior Jack Doherty finished with a team-high 33 points on 15-of-16 shooting for the Panthers, who committed 19 second-half turnovers, while Cooper tallied 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Yarbrough also had a game-high 17 rebounds for the Lions (21-11), who outscored FRA 10-7 in overtime, while teammates Crum (11), Evin Olds (12), Calvin Austin (12) and Timothy Taylor (10) also scored in double-figures.

“I tell our guys all the time that every season is a story,” Pierce said. “This story had its ups and downs … The thing about this team is that they really love each other, which makes it harder to go through something like this. It’s tough.”

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports .

Wilson Central’s Kendall Spray scored 10 second-quarter points in Saturday’s Class AAA sectional matchup against visiting Ravenwood.

The Wilson Central girls basketball team added win No. 33 to its spectacular season on Saturday, rolling to decisive sectional victory over Ravenwood 75-40 to secure the program’s first state tournament berth since 2011.

“The girls that are here right now, we’ve never been to state, so it’s a big step forward for us and Coach (John) Wild, too,” Wilson Central senior Kendall Spray said.

The Region 6-AAA runner-up Lady Raptors, playing without injured sophomore star Kierra Downey, kept things close in the first half. However, the Lady Wildcats (33-0), led by Spray’s 32-point performance, pulled away in the third quarter.

“You never know,” Ravenwood coach Mariska Harris said of the absence of Downey, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Region 6-AAA semifinal win over Cane Ridge. “Obviously Kierra is an impact player for our team, and she had been all season.

“You can say ‘what if,’ but at the end of the day she wasn’t out there, and you’ve got to go with what you have.”

Spray, who was held scoreless in the opening quarter, tallied 10 points in the final 2:18 of the first half, and the 5-foot-6 UT Martin signee really caught fire in the second half.

“There was about a four-minute flurry there late in the third (quarter) and early in the fourth where Kendall was Kendall,” Wild said. “It’s fun to watch, and the rest of the kids feed off of her so much.”

Spray hit four 3-pointers, boosting her state record for 165 on the season.

Wilson Central’s Piper Elrod buried five 3-pointers, finishing with 15 points, as the Lady Wildcats hit 14 shots beyond the arc.

“They came out in an inverted triangle and two and took away Addison (Byrd) and Kendall,” Wild said. “I mean they were right there with us in the first half. We couldn’t hit shots, but tonight showed how much mentally tougher we have gotten.”

Senior Bailey Swayze finished with a team-high 12 points to lead Ravenwood (23-11), making its first sectional appearance since 2011, while freshman Margaret Gleason and senior Megan Hawken each contributed 10 points.

“I told my five seniors that they helped lay the foundation,” said Harris, in her second season with the Lady Raptors. “It’s no more, ‘Let’s get to regions.’ Our goal should be going for championships — district and region, and going to state.

“I want this group to go to the next step.”

CPA 47, Cheatham Co. 34: CPA (26-4) will return to the state tournament for the first time since 2013 after beating Cheatham County 47-34 in Class AA.

CPA led 25-17 at halftime and cruised in the second half to get the victory.

Kenedi Hambrick led CPA with 18 points, while Carrington Washburn added 15. Abbi Douglas led Cheatham County with 17 points.

East Nashville 69, Creek Wood 39: East Nashville (29-2) punched its state ticket in Class AA, thanks to a 22-6 third-quarter run that put the game away.

Le’Jzae Davidson had a huge game for East Nashville, hitting six 3-pointers and scoring 31 points. Carolina Edmondson and Taylor Moore each scored 10 for Creek Wood (26-11).

Riverdale 76, Cumberland Co. 56: Anastasia Hayes scored 30 points to lead Riverdale, which will return to the Class AAA tournament for the first time since 2015. Hayes also scored the 2,000th point of her career.

Hayes hit 8 of 10 free throws in the final 4:41.

Bradley Central 68, Stewarts Creek 58: Brianah Ferby scored 22 points and Brandi Ferby had 11 for Stewarts Creek in Class AAA.

Dickson Co. 50, Rossview 45: The Lady Cougars (29-3) return to the Class AAA  tourney as Vanderbilt signee LeaLea Carter scored 22 points.

Community 66, Columbia Acad. 20: Community (29-2) outscored Columbia Academy (24-7) 35-12 in the first half and cruised in Class A. Sarah Pierce scored 26 points to lead Community.

Also, Perry County won 53-44 over Houston County.

Reach  Michael Murphy  at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter  @Murph_TNsports . 

The 2016 Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association state girls’ basketball championships will be held March 9-12 at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.

The TSSAA Division I girls state basketball tournament starts Wednesday in Murfreesboro.

Here’s a look at schedules and first-round pairings for the upcoming state tournaments:

(NOTE: This page will be continuously updated as results become available)

Class AAA

Wednesday’s quarterfinals
Oak Ridge (27-4) vs. Dyer Co. (27-5), 10 a.m.
Bradley Central (31-1) vs. Dickson Co. (29-3), 11:30 a.m.
Wilson Central (33-0) vs. Memphis Central (34-2), 1:15 p.m.
Morristown West (31-3) vs. Riverdale (29-4), 2:45 p.m.

Friday’s semifinals
Oak Ridge/Dyer Co. vs. Bradley Central/Dickson Co., 10 a.m.
Wilson Central/Memphis Central vs. Morristown West/Riverdale, 11:30 a.m.

Saturday
Championship, 1 p.m.

Class AA

Thursday’s quarterfinals
Grainger (26-9) vs. McMinn Central (30-2), 1:15 p.m.
Haywood Co. (28-4) vs. Upperman (33-2), 2:45 p.m.
Westview (31-2) vs. Elizabethton (33-0), 4:30 p.m.
CPA (26-4) vs. East Nashville (29-2), 6 p.m.

Friday’s semifinals
Grainger/McMinn Central vs. Haywood Co./Upperman, 4:30 p.m.
Westview/Elizabethton vs. CPA/East Nashville, 6 p.m.

Saturday
Championship, 6 p.m.

Class A

Wednesday’s quarterfinals
Community (29-2) vs. Perry Co. (26-5), 4:30 p.m.
Pickett Co. (29-2) vs. South Greene (32-4), 6 p.m.

Thursday’s quarterfinals
Middleton (31-0) vs. Harriman (25-10), 10 a.m.
Gibson Co. (35-0) vs. Van Buren Co. (28-4), 11:30 a.m.

Friday’s semifinals
Community/Perry Co. vs. Pickett Co./South Greene, 1:15 p.m.
Middleton/Harriman vs. Gibson Co./Van Buren, 2:45 p.m..

Saturday
Championship, 3:30 p.m.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. 

Here are the top 10 high school boys basketball teams in Middle Tennessee, as ranked by The Tennessean:

Sophomore Mr. Basketball finalist Darius Garland (10) helped lead Brentwood Academy to a second straight Division II-AA champion on Saturday.

10. CPA (23-8) — The Lions, coming off a comfortable 69-49 win over Marshall County in last week’s Region 6-AA championship, can secure their fifth straight Class AA state tournament appearance with a sectional win over visiting Whites Creek on Monday. Last week: No. 10. Streak: Won 9. 

9. Maplewood (23-5) — The Panthers got their revenge for last month’s district championship defeat to Whites Creek, capturing a 51-46 win over the Cobras in last Thursday’s Region 5-AA championship. Last week: No. 8. Streak: Won 3. 

8. Cane Ridge (24-4) — The District 11-AAA runner-up Ravens advanced to the Region 6-AAA semifinals for just the second time in school history before eventually suffering a season-ending 61-56 defeat to Independence. Last week: No. 6. Streak: Lost 1. 

7. White County (29-1) — The previously-unbeaten Warriors couldn’t have picked a worse night to have one of their poorest performances of the season, which resulted in 78-66 season-ending defeat to Bradley Central in last Thursday’s region semifinals. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Lost 1. 

6. Hillsboro (20-7) — Like in last season’s state quarterfinal finish, the District 12-AAA and Region 6-AAA champion Burros appear to have hit their stride at just the right time, stringing together six straight wins heading into Monday’s sectional against visiting Mt. Juliet. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Won 6. 

5. Ensworth (24-6) — The Division II-AA runner-up Tigers, led by senior Tennessee signee Jordan Bone, captured a double-digit semifinal win over Christian Brothers before being blown away by Brentwood Academy in Saturday’s state title game. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Lost 1.

4. Independence (27-3) — The District 11-AAA champion Eagles came within seconds of securing their first region title in program history last Thursday before allowing Hillsboro’s Thomas Smith to sink a near half-court shot at the buzzer to steal the win. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Lost 1. 

3. Station Camp (34-1) — The District 9-AAA and Region 5-AAA champion Bison can clinch their first Class AAA state tournament appearance with a sectional win over visiting Independence on Monday. Last week: No. 3. Streak: Won 6.

2. Brentwood Academy (29-3) — The Eagles captured their second straight Division II-AA title and the sixth in program history on Saturday, coasting to an 82-49 championship rout of rival Ensworth. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 9. 

1. Blackman (31-0) — The Blaze, the state’s only remaining unbeaten team, can secure a fifth consecutive Class AAA state tournament appearance with a sectional win over visiting Bradley Central on Monday. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Won 31. 

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. 

Here are the top 10 high school girls basketball teams in Middle Tennessee, as ranked by The Tennessean:

Brentwood Academy won its third straight TSSAA Division II-AA state championship on Saturday.

10. Rossview (30-3) — The District 10-AAA champion Lady Hawks advanced to sectionals for the third time in as many seasons before suffering a 50-45 defeat to Region 6-AAA champion Dickson County. Last week: No. 7. Streak: Lost 2. 

9. Upperman (33-2) — The Lady Bees snapped their seven-year state-tournament drought on Saturday, securing  their first trip to the Class AA state championships since 2007-08 with a 55-29 sectional victory over Sequoyah. Last week: No. 9. Streak: Won 27. 

8. East Nashville (29-2) — The Distrct 10-AA and Region 5-AA champion Lady Eagles punched their ticket to this week’s Class AA state tournament with a decisive 69-38 sectional win over Creek Wood. Last week: No. 8. Streak: Won 23. 

7. Oakland (23-7) — The reigning Class AAA runner-up Lady Patriots came within three points of capturing a district championship before eventually suffering a season-ending defeat to Stewarts Creek in the region semifinals. Last week: No. 5. Streak: Lost 1. 

6. Stewarts Creek (24-9) — The Lady Red Hawks, who  suffered a 58-58 season-ending defeat to Bradley Central on Saturday, advanced to the Class AAA sectionals for the first time in school history. Last week: NR. Streak: Lost 2. 

5. Dickson County (29-3) — The District 11-AAA and Region 6-AAA champion Lady Cougars, who secured a trip to state with Saturday’s sectional win over Rossview, will look to improve upon last season’s state quarterfinal finish. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 13. 

4. Wilson Central (33-0) — The District 9-AAA and Region 5-AAA champion Lady Wildcats scored their biggest win to date on Saturday, securing the school’s first state tournament appearance since 2010-11 with a 75-40 sectional win over Ravenwood. Last week: No. 4. Streak: Won 33. 

3. Blackman (27-4) — The two-time defending champion Lady Blaze won’t get the chance to defend their Class AAA crown after suffering a 73-66 loss to rival Riverdale in the Region 4-AAA semifinals. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Lost 1. 

2. Riverdale (29-4) — Miss Basketball finalist Anastasia Hayes scored 30 points in the Lady Warriors’ 76-56 sectional win over Cumberland County on Saturday, helping to secure the school’s first Class AAA state tournament appearance since winning it all in 2012-13. Last week: No. 2. Streak: Won 5.

1. Brentwood Academy (26-5) — The Lady Eagles, led by Miss Basketball finalist Sydni Harvey, captured their third consecutive Division II-AA title with Saturday’s 72-56 championship triumph over Baylor. Last week: No. 1. Streak: Won 7.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. 

Christ Presbyterian Academy junior Clay Washburn (32) launches a first-quarter 3-pointer over Whites Creek sophomore Andrew Woodard during Monday’s Class AA sectional matchup.

Whites Creek forward Jaquan Brooks didn’t have his most eventual offensive outing in Monday night’s Class AA sectional at Christ Presbyterian Academy.

Second-year Whites Creek coach Carlton Battle instructs his team during the first half of Monday’s Class AA sectional matchup at Christ Presbyterian Academy.

The 6-foot-5 junior did, however, deliver a crucial late-game blow to the five-time defending Region 6-AA champion Lions, stealing an inbounds pass and converting it into an easy layup to spot the Cobras a two-point advantage with 1:38 left in overtime.

“I’m just glad it went down,” said Brooks, who finished with just four points on 2-of-7 shooting while hauling down 13 rebounds, including five on the offensive end.

Whites Creek (21-11), runners-up in Region 5-AA, never trailed again after Brooks’ basket, as the Cobras went on to secure a 45-41 win and the school’s first state tournament appearance since 2007.

“I think just late in the fourth quarter we realized it could really happen,” said second-year Whites Creek coach Carlton Battle, whose team faced a 16-15 halftime deficit before falling behind 30-26 at the end of three quarters. “We’ve had things go bad before and had to come from behind to win, and I think they finally realized we could do it one more time.

“Something just clicked.”

CPA (23-8), led by Drew Scott’s 14-point, six-rebound effort, shot just 6 of 25 from beyond the 3-point line in the loss, something Lions coach Drew Maddux credited to Whites Creek’s defensive length — particularly that of 6-foot-9 junior Ruot Monyyong.

“Those are shots we’ve made all year and tonight we just shot a poor percentage, and credit their defense,” Maddux said. “(Monyyong) has such great length and timing, so when he contests a shot it’s going to make a difference. Every big we’ve played that was 6-foot-8 plus stayed in or around the basket.

“Credit his agility and athleticism to be able to attack our outside shots like that.”

Monyyong finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds, three blocks, three assists and a steal for the Cobras, while teammates Kenny Holmes and Jonathan Richardson combined to score 15 in the thrilling victory.

“It was an emotional roller coaster,” Battle said. “CPA has been here numerous times, and we knew that if we were going to get where we want to be we had to beat the kings. Hats off to Coach Drew Maddux for what he was able to do with this team — without all the superstars.”

CPA junior Clay Washburn finished with eight points on 3 of 10 shooting for the Lions, hitting just two of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc, while the squad’s only senior, Evan Ragsdale, contributed seven points.

The Division I state tournaments will be held March 16-19 at MTSU’s Murphy Center. First-round matchups will be determined at Tuesday night’s blind draw prior to the Mr. and Miss Basketball award ceremonies. The boys’ blind draw will be Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Murfreesboro’s DoubleTree Hotel.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-269-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports . 

The 2016 Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Division I girls state basketball tournaments get under way Wednesday morning at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center.

The TSSAA Division I girls basketball state tournaments begin Wednesday at MTSU’s Murphy Center.

Here’s a look at what to expect from the Glass House over the next four days.

TSSAA state girls basketball tournament pairings

Class AAA

Three Midstate squads — Dickson County, Riverdale and Wilson Central — have advanced to this week’s eight-team Class AAA tournament field, and for the first time in three seasons, two-time defending champion Blackman isn’t among them.

And without a clear-cut favorite, the gold ball truly appears to be up for grabs.

Dickson County coach Greg Tipps.

“The last few years, the teams that Blackman and Oakland had were just amazing,” first-year Dickson County coach Greg Tipps said. “That’s not to say those teams aren’t still great, but I think everybody feels like it’s a wide-open state tournament. I think every game that’s being played Wednesday will be a good one, and I think that’s going to make it fun.

“I don’t think there’s a clear-cut favorite in any game.”

Dickson County (29-3), coming off a 50-45 sectional win over Rossview, will be making its second BlueCross Basketball Championships appearance in as many seasons Wednesday, but the Region 6-AAA champion Lady Cougars aren’t exactly loaded with state tournament experience.

“We’re really only playing three girls that played a lot last year,” said Tipps.

Among those, however, are Vanderbilt signee Lea Lea Carter and District 11-AAA MVP Emily Beard — a pair that registered a combined 34 points in 64 minutes in last season’s 57-49 quarterfinal defeat to Bearden.

“We just have to keep doing what we’re doing,” said Tipps, whose Lady Cougars take on Region 3-AAA champion Bradley Central in Wednesday’s 11:30 a.m. quarterfinal. “We want to make sure that when we get to Murphy Center that we do what we do and we don’t worry about the distractions of a different environment.”

Dickson County’s Lea Lea Carter (30), Wilson Central’s Kendall Spray (21) and Riverdale’s Anastasia Hayes (3).

In addition to the McDonald’s All-American Carter, a pair of Miss Basketball finalists — Wilson Central’s Kendall Spray and Riverdale’s Anastasia Hayes — will be on display as well.

The senior UT Martin signee, Spray, who recently set the TSSAA record for most career 3-pointers (388), knocked down a state-record 165 triples this season for the Lady Wildcats (33-0), who’ll square off with Memphis Central in Wednesday’s 1:15 p.m. quarterfinal.

Hayes, whose Lady Warriors take on Morristown West on Wednesday at 2:45 p.m., is averaging 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists. The 5-foot-7 junior guard, who is ranked as the No. 20 prospect nationally according to ESPN Hoopgurlz, is averaging 19.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists.

Class AA

Three area schools — Christ Presbyterian Academy, East Nashville and Upperman — will also be vying for a TSSAA Class AA state title this week in Murfreesboro.

CPA (26-4), which has strung together 17 straight wins since suffering a 63-41 defeat to Division II-AA champion Brentwood Academy on Dec. 29, has outscored its postseason opponents 360-231 en route to capturing Region 6-AA and District 12-AA tournament championships.

East Nashville junior Erica Haynes-Overton

The Lady Lions, who suffered a sectional defeat to state champion M.L. King last season, will square off with fellow  East Nashville in Thursday’s 6 p.m. quarterfinals.

The District 10-AA and Region 5-AA champion Lady Eagles (29-2), ranked eighth in The Tennessean Midstate Top 10, are led by a trio of double-digit scorers in Erica Haynes-Overton (19.0 ppg), Le’Jzae Davidson (17.8 ppg) and Kaia Upton (13.3 ppg).

Haynes-Overton also leads the team in rebounding (8.4), steals (7.1) and blocked shots (1.5), registering eight triple-doubles and eight double-doubles.

The Lady Eagles have reeled off 23 straight wins en route to the school’s first state tournament appearance.

District 8-AA and Region 4-AA champion Upperman (33-2), led by Miss Basketball finalist Akira Levy, snapped the school’s seven-year state-tournament drought with Saturday’s 55-29 sectional victory over Sequoyah. The Lady Bees, winners of 27 in a row, will take on Haywood in Thursday’s 2:45 p.m. quarterfinals.

The Tennessean Midstate girls basketball top 10

Class A

In Class A action, Community (29-2), making its second straight BlueCross Basketball Championships appearance, will be looking to improve on last season’s state quarterfinal finish when the Viqueens take on Perry County (26-5) on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.

District 7-A and Region 4-A champion Pickett Co. (29-2) will take on South Greene (32-4) in Wednesday’s 6 p.m. opener, while Van Buren County (28-4), led by Miss Basketball finalist Lakelyn Bouldin, will square off with unbeaten Gibson County in Thursday’s 11:30 a.m. quarterfinal.

Reach Michael Murphy at 615-259-8262 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports. 

Girls state tournament pairings

Class AAA

Wednesday

10 a.m.: Oak Ridge (27-4) vs. Dyer Co. (27-5)

11:30 a.m.: Bradley Central (31-3) vs. Dickson Co. (29-3)

1:15 p.m.: Wilson Central (33-0) vs. Memphis Central (34-2)

2:45 p.m.: Morristown West (31-3) vs. Riverdale (29-4)

Friday

10 a.m.: Semifinals, Oak Ridge/Dyer Co. winner vs. Bradley Central/Dickson winner

11:30 a.m.: Semifinals, Wilson Central/Memphis Central winner vs. Morristown/Riverdale winner

Saturday

1 p.m.: Championship game

Class AA

Thursday

1:15 p.m.: Granger (26-9) vs. McMinn Central (30-2)

2:45 p.m.: Haywood Co. (28-4) vs. Upperman (33-2)

4:30 p.m.: Westview (31-2) vs. Elizabethton (33-0)

6 p.m.: CPA (26-4) vs. East Nashville (29-2)

Friday

4:30 p.m.: Semifinals, Grainger/McMinn winner vs. Haywood/Upperman winner

6 p.m.: Semifinals, Westview/Elizabethton winner vs. CPA/East Nashville winner

Saturday

6 p.m.: Championship game.

Class A

Wednesday

4:30 p.m.: Community (29-2) vs. Perry Co. (26-5)

6 p.m.: Pickett Co. (29-2) vs. South Greene (32-4)

Thursday

10 a.m.: Middleton (31-0) vs. Harriman (25-10)

11:30 a.m.: Gibson Co. (35-0) vs. Van Buren Co. (28-4)

Friday

1:15 p.m: Semifinals, Community/Perry Co. winner vs. Pickett Co./S. Greene winner

2:45 p.m.: Semifinals, Middleton/Harriman winner vs. Gibson Co./Van Buren winner

Saturday

3:30 p.m.: Championship game