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CLARKSVILLE — It may have been the longest six minutes of Chris Washington Jr.'s basketball playing career.
The period from late in the third quarter until midway through the fourth of the TSSAA boys basketball state championship game must have seemed like an eternity to Washington, who was on the bench with his fourth foul while his Providence Christian team tried to hold a lead over BGA in Division II-A.
Washington and the top-ranked Lions weathered the storm, capturing their second consecutive state championship in their third straight trip to the finals, 60-48, over the Wildcats on March 7 at F&M Bank Arena.
"I'll be honest, when coach sat me out for those six minutes, I was scared ... because it was crunch time," said Washington, a four-star prospect who scored 13 points and pulled down 15 rebounds to be named the tournament MVP. "I make a big impact to the team. But I trusted my teammates, and we got the job done."
With Washington on the bench, BGA (31-8) had whittled a 15-point deficit down to just seven by the end of the third quarter and eight at the point where he returned with just over four minutes remaining in regulation.
But PCA coach Kerry Hammonds, like Washington, put his trust in the other Lions to get the job done. BGA got no closer than eight.
"It was about score and momentum," said Hammonds, on his plan on when to re-insert Washington. "I thoguth we did a really good job being in our 2-3 zone and kind of weathering the storm. I think there was a timeout for media, and Chris was asking, 'Coach am I goin back in?' I'm like, 'We're up 11. We're going to try to steal as many minutes as we can. And he was staying engaged on the sideline."
MORE: How PCA's TSSAA girls basketball state title win rested on defending Haylen Ayers
Washington was wearing a necklace with a photo in it during the postgame press conference.
Most that have watched Washington play know how he has become of the the nation's top recruits in the 2026 class.
That photo was the "why."
"This is a picture of me and my mother (Tiffany Lashy Pritchett)," Washington said. "Unfortunately she passed when I was 14. I wear this everywhere I go. She is my 'why.' She's the reason I go hard in everything I do. I go hard for her. Of course. She was at every last single one of them."
Washington still has to choose which college he'll attend next season, something he said would happen in April or May.
But he will end his high school career with two state titles in two seasons at PCA, something he wanted to accomplish when moving to Murfreesboro from Florida.
"Of course I did," said Washington, when asked if he thought he would win two in a row. "We're a team. We did it together as a team. I knew it was possible. At the beginning of the season it was rough. Me and (teammates) were getting into it a lot. Me and Coach were getting into it, in certain areas. So it was great just to bounce back and be a champion again."
Senior Nic Anderson picked up a lot of slack when Washington was out. He finished with a game-high 23 points (including three 3s) and pulled down five rebounds.
His sister, Alex, won a state title earlier in the day as PCA swept the DII-A championships.
"It's awesome ... going back to back, ending my high school career with a win and state championship, and my sister winning too was great," Anderson said.
MORE: Matt Rigsby resigns as Siegel boys basketball coach
The Andersons weren't the only family connections. Peyton Applegate, who scored six points with four rebounds in the boys' win, is the cousin of Lady Lion center Kayte Madison Bjornstad.
Applegate was the only player in the lineup who remembered the feeling of losing the 2024 state title.
"(The finals loss) fueled us to want to work harder," Applegate said. "All the 6 a.m. (practices) and two-a-days, it fueled you to get back."
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Chris Washington, PCA boys win TSSAA basketball state championship again
Continue reading...
The period from late in the third quarter until midway through the fourth of the TSSAA boys basketball state championship game must have seemed like an eternity to Washington, who was on the bench with his fourth foul while his Providence Christian team tried to hold a lead over BGA in Division II-A.
Washington and the top-ranked Lions weathered the storm, capturing their second consecutive state championship in their third straight trip to the finals, 60-48, over the Wildcats on March 7 at F&M Bank Arena.
"I'll be honest, when coach sat me out for those six minutes, I was scared ... because it was crunch time," said Washington, a four-star prospect who scored 13 points and pulled down 15 rebounds to be named the tournament MVP. "I make a big impact to the team. But I trusted my teammates, and we got the job done."
With Washington on the bench, BGA (31-8) had whittled a 15-point deficit down to just seven by the end of the third quarter and eight at the point where he returned with just over four minutes remaining in regulation.
But PCA coach Kerry Hammonds, like Washington, put his trust in the other Lions to get the job done. BGA got no closer than eight.
"It was about score and momentum," said Hammonds, on his plan on when to re-insert Washington. "I thoguth we did a really good job being in our 2-3 zone and kind of weathering the storm. I think there was a timeout for media, and Chris was asking, 'Coach am I goin back in?' I'm like, 'We're up 11. We're going to try to steal as many minutes as we can. And he was staying engaged on the sideline."
MORE: How PCA's TSSAA girls basketball state title win rested on defending Haylen Ayers
Chris Washington Jr. gets the 'why' from late mother
Washington was wearing a necklace with a photo in it during the postgame press conference.
Most that have watched Washington play know how he has become of the the nation's top recruits in the 2026 class.
That photo was the "why."
"This is a picture of me and my mother (Tiffany Lashy Pritchett)," Washington said. "Unfortunately she passed when I was 14. I wear this everywhere I go. She is my 'why.' She's the reason I go hard in everything I do. I go hard for her. Of course. She was at every last single one of them."
Washington still has to choose which college he'll attend next season, something he said would happen in April or May.
But he will end his high school career with two state titles in two seasons at PCA, something he wanted to accomplish when moving to Murfreesboro from Florida.
"Of course I did," said Washington, when asked if he thought he would win two in a row. "We're a team. We did it together as a team. I knew it was possible. At the beginning of the season it was rough. Me and (teammates) were getting into it a lot. Me and Coach were getting into it, in certain areas. So it was great just to bounce back and be a champion again."
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State titles a family affair for PCA basketball players
Senior Nic Anderson picked up a lot of slack when Washington was out. He finished with a game-high 23 points (including three 3s) and pulled down five rebounds.
His sister, Alex, won a state title earlier in the day as PCA swept the DII-A championships.
"It's awesome ... going back to back, ending my high school career with a win and state championship, and my sister winning too was great," Anderson said.
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MORE: Matt Rigsby resigns as Siegel boys basketball coach
The Andersons weren't the only family connections. Peyton Applegate, who scored six points with four rebounds in the boys' win, is the cousin of Lady Lion center Kayte Madison Bjornstad.
Applegate was the only player in the lineup who remembered the feeling of losing the 2024 state title.
"(The finals loss) fueled us to want to work harder," Applegate said. "All the 6 a.m. (practices) and two-a-days, it fueled you to get back."
Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Chris Washington, PCA boys win TSSAA basketball state championship again
Continue reading...
