Guinn a finalist for Miss Basketball

Oak Ridge senior Jada Guinn (24) has passed 2,000 points total scored for the Lady Wildcats, and she set a single-game scoring record of 45 points at Karns on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019. Guinn is pictured above shooting a free throw during a 81-24 win at Clinton on Friday, Jan. 24, 2019. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Oak Ridge senior Jada Guinn is a finalist for Miss Basketball in Class AAA in Tennessee.

The three finalists were announced Thursday. Besides Guinn, the finalists for Miss Basketball in Class AAA are Madison Hayes of East Hamilton High School and Jayla Hemingway of Houston High School.

Guinn was, as of several games ago, averaging 23 points per game this year, seven rebounds per game, four assists per game, and three steals per game, according to Miss Basketball nomination information posted by broadcaster David Clary. She scored 24 points or more in the first half of two recent games: 27 at the half at Karns on Monday, January 28, and 24 at the half at Clinton on Friday, January 25. She’s had several recent games where she has scored more than 30 points, with 32 at Clinton that Friday and 34 against Halls at Wildcat Arena on January 8.

Guinn scored 32 points against Campbell County on Friday, February 1, when Oak Ridge defeated the Lady Cougars 74-44 after losing to them 49-48 in November. Guinn scored 32 in that earlier game also.

In the February 1 game, Guinn scored her 2,121st point, which was enough to pass Jennifer Wilson Galloway for second on the all-time Oak Ridge scoring list, Clary said.

Guinn scored 27 in the Lady Wildcats’ final district game, a 66-26 win at Powell on Monday.

With that victory, Oak Ridge (25-2, 13-1 District 3-AAA) has won 22 straight games dating back to December 7. That ties the program’s sixth-longest win streak, which was set during the 2007-2008 season, Clary said.

The Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards will be presented to the top girls and boys in the five classifications of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association in Murphy Center at Middle Tennessee State University at a date and time to be announced later, a press release said. The five TSSAA classifications are Division I Class A, AA, and AAA, and Division II Class A and Class AA.

Another area player, Ques Glover of Bearden High School, has been named a Mr. Basketball finalist in Class AAA.

A statewide committee of sportswriters selected winners based on performance during the 2018-2019 regular season, the press release said. Academics and character were also taken into consideration. High school head basketball coaches and members of the media nominated the finalists.

This is the 35th year that the Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards have been presented to Tennessee’s best high school basketball players, the press release said. American General was the sponsor of the event since the inception of the awards in 1985 until 2001. The Memphis Grizzlies were sponsors of the awards from 2002-2004. From 2005-2015, the Mr. and Miss Basketball Awards were presented at the conclusion of each respective championship game as part of the post-game trophy ceremony.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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