Emma Rainey and Riley Hunt, starting guards for the Bearden girls basketball team, share a strong understanding of the game. The duo complement Miss Basketball finalist and Missouri signee Natalya Hodge in one of the state’s top backcourts.
Both players can trust that the other will be in the right position when running through plays.
“I’m able to move or cut, and I know she’s there or she knows I’m there,” Hunt said. “I’ll be going up for a rebound and just know she’s behind me and I’ll just tip it back.”
Rainey speaks similarly of this connection.
“We’ll have these eye contact moments on the court, and she’ll just know exactly what I’m about to do,” Rainey said. “Knowing what each other are about to do is always so helpful in every play, but it bleeds into the rest of the team as well and it gets us going in the right direction.”
When teams give Hodge too much attention, Bearden becomes a nightmare for opposing teams to contain.
“They have this versatility which allows us to play many different ways which is a huge advantage to us,” Coach Justin Underwood said. “Most teams across the state don’t have nearly that versatility.
“Emma’s our defensive anchor, and Riley is a rebounding frustration for the other team both offensively and defensively.”
The Lady Bulldogs will count on that versatility in the postseason, which they start on Thursday in the district semifinals at McMinn County. Their opponent depends on other results this week.
“Riley just goes and she does the dirty work for a whole lot of plays, and you don’t really have a lot of people who will do that,” Rainey said.
Added Hunt: “She stays positive, even when she’s not hitting her shots. She still keeps her head up.”
Bearden is looking to improve upon last year’s season that ended in a state semifinal.
“We’re ready to win, and we’re ready to compete,” Hunt said. “This is a special group.”
Bearden’s 64-58 come-from-behind win at Farragut earlier this month bore an important lesson to keep in mind during the post-season.
“We could see the plays forming before they were happening, and I think that really shows a team that is together and that’s what’s really important going into the post season,” Rainey said.
Added Coach Underwood: “Basketball is a tough sport, and the post season can be highs and lows, so I think trying not to ride that rollercoaster will be very important.
“There’s gonna be good moments in the games and spots that aren’t, and I think if we’ll stay in the moment and give it our best effort we’ll be a really tough team to beat.”