Mitchell’s 35 not enough as Lady Wildcats fall

March 4, 2026 by Ken Lay

A roller-coaster 2025-26 season has come to an end for Oak Ridge High School’s young girls basketball team.

The Lady Wildcats dropped another close contest in a campaign filled with narrow wins and hard-fought losses, falling to Farragut, 54-47, in a Region 2-4A Tournament semifinal Monday night at Bearden High School in West Knoxville. The game served as a fitting snapshot of a season defined by tight margins.

Oak Ridge (11-17) carried a 22-20 halftime lead and stretched its advantage to 27-22 early in the third quarter before the Lady Admirals surged back.

Evaiya Mitchell delivered another dazzling performance, pouring in a game-high 35 points against Farragut (21-10). However, no other Lady Wildcat scored more than five points.

The Lady Admirals placed two players in double figures, as K.J. McNealy scored 20 points and Trinity Curry added 10.

Oak Ridge reached the semifinals after an impressive 57-38 victory over Knox Central on Friday night in Fountain City. The Lady Wildcats, the No. 4 seed from District 4-4A and a league newcomer, knocked off the top-seeded Lady Bobcats, longtime former district rivals.

Knox Central, the District 3-4A champion, had upset Campbell County and Powell to claim its district title. But Oak Ridge turned the tables after a sluggish start.

Mitchell scored 27 points in that contest, and first-year Coach Kevin Tubbs credited a halftime message for the turnaround.

“They came out against us and they were patient and they had a good game plan,” Tubbs said. “We were taking too many one-pass shots and we weren’t moving the ball.

“They came in on an emotional roll, and I told our girls to pass the ball to get better shots and take care of the ball. We did that better in the second half.”