High school basketball: No. 7 Bartlett defeats No. 18 Bearden 71-61 to advance to Tennessee Class 4A state title game

No. 7 Bartlett knocked off No. 18 Bearden (Knoxville) 71-61 on Friday to punch their ticket to the Tennessee Class 4A state championship game. 

Four-star junior Dylan Jones led the way with a game-high 22 points on 9 of 11 from the field while sophomore guard Braylon Williams scored 20 points on 6 of 7 from the field in the win.

Bearden started the contest strong as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 19-12 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

Bartlett responded to took momentum into the half in the second quarter, capped by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Williams to give the Panthers a 32-30 edge at the intermission. Bartlett carried that momentum into the second half as they started the third quarter on a 9-1 run to extend their advantage to 41-31.

The Panthers did not trail for the remainder of the game as Bearden was unable to cut the deficit under six points after the early second-half surge, despite keeping things within striking distance throughout.

Navy signee Justin Nordin scored a team-high 17 points for the Bulldogs and senior Carson Asbaty had 16 points in the loss.

Despite turning the ball over 13 times, Bartlett was a model of efficiency in the win as they shot 24 of 33 from the field, 5 of 8 from 3-point range and 18 of 22 from the free throw line as a team.

The anticipated state semifinal showdown marked the final matchup between top 25 opponents of the 2025-26 high school basketball season.

Bearden (37-2) came into the contest riding a 21-game winning streak with their only previous loss coming against No. 15 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) on Dec. 29.

Bartlett (34-4) faces Walker Valley (Cleveland, Tenn.) in the title game tomorrow at 4 p.m. local time.