How freshman with 3 SEC offers established herself at girls state basketball tournament
MURFREESBORO — Fans of girls basketball in the Upper Cumberland area and around Jamestown were well aware of who Reese Beaty was entering this year's girls state tournament.
It didn't take long for fans in attendance in Middle Tennessee State's Murphy Center to get to know her either.
York Institute's bid for its first state championship since 1984 came to an end Saturday with a 47-37 loss to Westview (32-2) in the Class 2A championship, but Beaty established herself as a player fans will be keeping an eye on for the next three years.
"We all know now what it's like to be here and play on this court," Beaty said. "This experience didn't end how we wanted, but we know how bad it hurts so it's only going to make us stronger for next year and the years to come.
"We're going to get better from this, we'll learn from it and we're not going to hang our heads. We know the mindset to have for next year now."
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Beaty was a cornerstone for the Dragonettes success this season and began to get looks from colleges before she even stepped on the court for her freshman season.
By August, the 5-foot-8 guard had 13 offers from schools including Alabama, Belmont, Georgia, Kentucky, MTSU and North Carolina among others.
Schools like Oregon and Stanford have also shown interest in Reese.
Alongside her older sister Gabby, the 2021 small class shot put champion, the Beatys led the Dragonettes (26-7) on a run that the school hadn't seen since the 1984 championship.
Entering the state tournament with 30 wins, Reese led York to a three-point win over Gibson County in the quarterfinals with 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. The Dragonettes beat Gatlinburg-Pittman by one in overtime a few nights later.
Reese finished that game with eight points, six rebounds and five assists.
In the Class 2A championship, Reese guarded another future Power Five guard in Westview's Jada Harrison. Reese held the 2022 Miss Basketball finalist to three first-half points.
Harrison finally got going in the second half, finishing with 15 points and going 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Reese struggled, finishing with five points, two rebounds and an assist.
"Jada's just about as good as they come," Reese said. "This was a good experience getting to go against someone you know will go to a Power Five school. I now know what to do to try and shut her down.
"It was definitely tough because she's going to score. It's great experience to guard someone of her caliber."
Gabby said that she's enjoyed watching her younger sister grow throughout the season.
While she led the Dragonettes in scoring throughout the state tournament, averaging 15.3 points (including 20 in the championship game), Gabby will likely compete in track in college.
She's excited for one more season with her sister. "I'm so proud of her," Gabby said. "She's dreamed of one day playing college ball since she was young. She's put in the work and definitely deserves all of the recognition she's getting now.
"I'm just going to keep rooting for her and can't wait to see how these next few years play out for her."
Reach Joe Spears at jspears2@gannett.com or 731-343-4923. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @joe_spears7.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Reese Beaty: Freshman is talk of girls basketball state tournament
