weather icon 79°F
Braves At St. Louis Sunday 12PM On 104.7

Van Buren, Clarkrange Girls Set to Clash for Trip to Murfreesboro

The Van Buren Eagles and Clarkrange Lady Buffaloes will battle Saturday night for the right to head to Murfreesboro.

Both teams took different paths to get to the state sectionals. Van Buren lost their regional championship to Copper Basin. Van Buren Head Coach Tyler Sapp said there is an argument to be made for his team playing their best basketball right now.

“I think we played our best game offensively [Monday night,] for sure, and we played really well defensively.” Sapp said. “You got to have other kids make shots in tournament time because defenses lock down on what you’re trying to do.”

Clarkrange defeated Clay County to win their regional championship Wednesday night. The winner advances to play in the state quarterfinals in Murfreesboro Wednesday.

“We just battle and just grind it out.” Clarkrange Head Coach Lamar Rogers said. “We showed our grit, showed what we wee made of, will to win, and good defense and good ball movement.”

Clarkrange held Pickett County to 57 points in their semifinal win after Pickett won their quarterfinal game by 101 points.

“We played really solid,” Rogers said. “Everybody else just did their job well, we were strong on the boards. They’re a good team and it’s been a little while since we were in the regional championship game, so we were really excited.”

These two teams are no strangers to each other. Two seasons ago, Van Buren and Clarkrange clashed in the same sectional round. Van Buren won that game but lost in the next round. Both teams seek a return to Murfreesboro to be crowned state champions.

Van Buren looks for their third consecutive trip to state, while Clarkrange seeks their first appearance since 2021.

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email