Johnson snatched one of her game high eight rebounds just before the end of the third period, pushed the ball up the court and in perfect form launched a rainbow jump shot from the half court center circle at the buzzer to expand their lead 51-30. The lead expanded as large as 24 points in the final period for Shelbyville.

This win vindicated a one-point loss to Wilson back in mid-December for Shelbyville and they have a chance to redeem their other two in-state losses to Columbia Central and Mount Juliet in their five remaining games. Shelbyville Central High School, after going 2 and 2 in the Black Division of the TOC in Phoenix and knocking off a top 25 team is making a strong case for consideration of national ranking.

After the loss Hassell commented that she is continuing to focus on her team winning the state championship and after the season she will begin to concentrate on her college choices.

Phelps led the scoring barrage with 26 for Shelbyville and is being courted by Baylor, Western Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Middle Tennessee State among others. The senior will likely sign in the late signing period this spring. Some of the colleges in attendance during this game included: Clemson, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.

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Tyrus McBride has played for Muskogee High in Muskogee, Okla.; Connors State College in Warner, Okla., and the Tyndall Air Force Base in Bay County, Fla. He also has officiated at the high-school, NCAA Division II and Division III, NAIA and junior-college levels, and continues to train and schedule officials. Ty has coached with Finest Basketball Club (FBC) Georgia and Collins Hill High School Fall League for two years, and has coached boys and girls in skills development at all levels, and at several Division I college camps across the nation. He can be reached at ty@hoopgurlz.com.