Huntingdon Fillies Beat Smith County 60-57 in Class 2A State Quarterfinal

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A large Huntingdon crowd made the trip to Murfreesboro on Wednesday, March 11, to watch the Fillies avenge their regular-season loss to Smith County, holding off a furious fourth-quarter rally to claim a 60-57 victory in the Class 2A state quarterfinals at Murphy Center.

**HUDDLE UP** — The Fillies gather around head coach David Wilkins during a timeout in Wednesday’s Class 2A state quarterfinal against Smith County at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro. *Jesse Joseph/Carroll County Observer*

Smith County had defeated Huntingdon 61-56 back in November, but this time the Fillies flipped the script, improving to 29-3 and advancing to Friday’s semifinal matchup against Gatlinburg-Pittman at 11 a.m.

Freshman Wylie Kee finished with 19 points, a game-high 19 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 blocks, and 2 steals in 31 minutes.

**SKY HIGH** — Freshman Wylie Kee (24) goes up for a layup during the Fillies’ 60-57 quarterfinal victory at Murphy Center. *Jesse Joseph/Carroll County Observer*

Ellie Wilson matched her with 19 points of her own, including a critical fast-break three-pointer in the fourth quarter that pushed the Fillies’ lead to four.

Smith County never went away, though, and made the final minutes agonizing for Huntingdon fans.

Trailing 58-51 with under two minutes to play, the Owls clawed back behind clutch free throws from Dacey Claywell and a massive three-pointer from Sophia Desimone that cut the deficit to 58-55 with just 19 seconds remaining.

After a Huntingdon turnover, Desimone hit both free throws following a foul on Grier Bartholomew to make it a one-point game at 58-57.

**RUNNING THE SHOW —** Huntingdon’s Knox Bennett (22) surveys the court while handling the ball in the Class 2A state quarterfinal at Murphy Center. *Jesse Joseph/Carroll County Observer*

Knox Bennett sealed it at the line with two free throws with 11 seconds left, and Kee swatted away a final Smith County attempt at the buzzer to preserve the three-point win.

The game was a tale of shifting momentum. The Fillies controlled the first quarter, and built as much as a seven-point lead thanks to a couple early threes from Bartholomew and Wilson.

NOTHING BUT NET — Huntingdon’s Ellie Wilson drains a three-pointer during the first quarter of the Fillies’ 60-57 victory over Smith County in the Class 2A state quarterfinal at Murphy Center. Jesse Joseph/Carroll County Observer

In the second quarter, Smith County’s Emry Jones led the Owls to a 28-24 halftime advantage over the Fillies.

The third quarter belonged to Huntingdon. The Fillies erupted for 25 points in the period. Krystin Moore came off the bench to drain consecutive three-pointers, and Kee added eight points in the quarter as Huntingdon took a 49-44 lead into the fourth.

**LOUD AND PROUD** — Huntingdon students erupt from the stands during Wednesday’s Class 2A state quarterfinal at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro. *Jesse Joseph/Carroll County Observer*

The Fillies now turn their attention to Gatlinburg-Pittman in Friday’s 11 a.m. semifinal game, looking to take another step toward a state championship.