CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The University School of Nashville traveled to Clarksville Academy for a win-or-go-home matchup with the Cougars in the division II-A middle district tournament quarterfinals. The Tigers kept it close, hoping for an upset, but Academy pulled away late to clinch a 52-40 win and advance to the semifinals.

The game was different from the Cougars’ fast-paced, transition-style of play; it was a slow, defensive-centric game where every possession mattered.

Both teams executed effective zone defenses, but Tigers guard Jamison Jackson started to heat up and got to his spots down low, scoring 11 first-half points. The Cougars led narrowly at the break, 27-21.

The third quarter was more of the same, and Clarksville Academy only led by four at the end of the period. Thankfully, the Cougars controlled the time of possession enough to make it a free-throw contest down the stretch, and forward Tahj Davie went 7-10 from the free-throw line in the final quarter. He finished with 15 points to lead all scorers.

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“I didn’t think we were quite as ready as we needed to be at the start of the game, but we did a good job of sticking with it and grinding it out,” said Cougars head coach Sean Jones. “That’s what you have to do sometimes this time of the year, play different styles and survive and advance.”

The Tigers hit a few late shots but couldn’t muster up enough offense to save their season. The number one-seeded Cougars survived, clinching a spot in the region tournament and moving into the district semifinals on Friday against Goodpasture, their biggest rival. For Jones and his crew, it’s about getting hot at the right time, and making a run.

“You don’t have to play your best ball at the beginning of the year, and we’ve learned that,” said Jones. “How you play right now is what matters. Since Christmas, we’ve been playing well, we just have to continue to bring that underdog mentality and being locked in to work every day.”

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