‘It’s win or go home. That’s tournament basketball.’- Campbell Lady Cougar Coach Jason Kitts

TOP PHOTO: Campbell’s southpaw shoots! Saylor Hutcheson drains a three in Friday’s home win over Karns.

Campbell Lady Cougar Lacey Pemberton drives for points against Karns on Friday. Campbell won 46-35. (PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMMY STANFILL (INSTAGRAM @shotssbyyem)

KNOXVILLE, TN (WLAF) – The girls portion of the District 3-AAAA basketball tournament begins tonight at Central High, and the Campbell Lady Cougars are on the card at 7:30. Homestanding Central, a team Campbell handily defeated at home in January and held on to edge 59-51 a few days ago, is Tuesday night’s opponent.

Campbell, 21 & 5, is the third seed. Central, 11 & 16, is the sixth. The winner advances to play Karns, the second seed, in Thursday’s semi-final round while the loser’s season ends. A win tonight guarantees three more games and a berth in the Region 2 Tournament.

“We were able to get into that must win mode last week; a little pressure, because we needed to win three games in four nights to have a shot at the second or third seed. We were able to take all three,” said Campbell Coach Jason Kitts. Campbell won at Halls last Monday and at Central a week ago tonight before winning over Karns at home on Friday.

Campbell is coming in healthy after a good 75-minute practice on Monday evening.

“Central will try to speed us up and make us turn the ball over giving them easy baskets. They live and die by the three and want to run in transition. But after playing them twice, we’re ready,” said Coach Kitts. Central’s Avery Brewer who was quite quiet in the January meeting went off for 29 last Tuesday validating the Lady Bobcats three game.

All-District selections are a plenty for the Campbell Lady Cougars with the starting five making All-District. Carley Kitts, Lacey Pemberton and Saylor Hutcheson garnered first team honors while Bella Lester and Jayden Kitts are on the second team.

Kitts called his starting five making All-District “unexpected.” “We play team basketball, and you just can’t pick one player, but coaches kept singling out a player here and there that should be on the All-District team,” said Coach Kitts.

There are two games on this opening round evening with Powell, seeded 4th, and Halls, the 5th seed, squaring off at 6pm. Campbell, because of its higher seeding, wears its home white jerseys tonight even though Central is the home team. Tip time is 7:30pm.

Clayton Carroll sends you the fun of Lady Cougar Basketball beginning at 7:20pm. Catch all of the radio only action over the WLAF Doyle’s Tire Sports Network which consists of AM 1450, FM 100.9 WLAF Radio, www.1450wlaf.com, WLAF-TV Channel 1089, YouTube, Amazon Fire TV, Roku TV, Facebook and Twitch.

Campbell broadcasts are made possible by these outstanding corporate partners:

Alco Builders & Realty

American Cable of La Follette

Be.You.Tiful Med Spa

Byrge Screen Printing

Clayton Homes

C & C Concrete

Cantrell Law Firm

C & L Furniture

Charley’s Pizza

C & L Metal Sales

Citizens Bank

Cumberland Equipment Rentals

Attorney Jeffrey Coller

Community Trust Bank

Cumberland Gap

Local realtor Gage Dople

Doyle’s Tire Shop

Exterior Home Solutions

Hammer’s

Hill Insurance

First National Bank

Grace Rehab

Gray Insurance Group

Greeneview Farms Market

Hearthside Bank

Jacksboro GNC

Hensley Tire & Service

Holston Gases

La Follette Nutrition

LaFollette Medical Center – Tennova Medical Group

LaFollette Mine Supply

Litho-Craft Printing & Office Supplies

LUB

Peoples Bank of the South

PCUD

Rice Oil is your home for BP and Amoco

Robbins Guttering, Roofing & Siding

Smith Metal and Dock Sales

TCAT

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 02/13/2024-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF EMMY STANFILL (INSTAGRAM @shotssbyyem)

Related