Clarksville, TN – It is no surprise that another Clarksville student athlete is making headlines at the next level. Such is the case for former Clarksville High School basketball star Bashaara Graves. Now playing for the University of Tennessee “Lady Vols”, Graves has racked up her fourth SEC Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week honor.
During a week in which No. 9 Tennessee (13-3/4-0 SEC) picked up a blowout home win over Missouri (84-39) and an overtime road triumph over Florida (78-75), Graves averaged a double-double of 16.5 points and 10.0 rebounds as well as 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals for her team.
Graves notched the SEC’s second-best total this season with her seventh double-double. She registered 17 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals in the hard-fought victory over the Gators on Sunday. She did so by hitting six of 11 field goal attempts vs. Florida and five of six free throws during her 38 minutes of action.
With her team up one in overtime with eight seconds remaining, Graves was fouled and hit both free throws to make it a three-point affair and produce what turned out to be the game’s final margin.
On Thursday, she had a 16-point, eight-rebound effort vs. Missouri. With her efforts vs. the Tigers and Gators added in, the rookie now has scored in double figures in 14 of 16 games this season.
Graves is averaging 16.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in SEC play and is shooting 53.8 from the field and 82.1 from the line. She and her Lady Vol teammates head to The Plains of Alabama this week, where they’ll meet Auburn on Thursday in an 8:00pm.
