MURFREESBORO -- For the second straight year, powerful Gibson County has ended South Greene's hopes for a fifth state basketball championship.

While last year the Lady Rebels were able to extend the game into the fourth quarter before losing to the Lady Pioneers, this season's rematch in the TSSAA state semifinals wasn't close after three minutes had elapsed off the clock.

From a 9-8 South Greene lead three minutes deep into the contest, Gibson County, losers only once this season while piling up 33 victories, erupted with a 17-0 run the rest of the first quarter to take total command of the contest with a 25-9 advantage. They never took the foot off the gas pedal and humbled the Rebs 81-42.

"We started off great, then it seemed like they started hitting everything they threw up there," South Greene Coach Derek Dyer said. "They would back way up behind the 3-point line and just bombed away."

The Pioneers hit four 3-point shots during that 17-0 run that closed out the final five minutes of the opening quarter that staked them to a 25-9 lead.

"They just dominated us on the boards," Dyer said, noting the stat sheet that said his team was out-rebounded 40-23. "We couldn't keep them from getting second and third shots. They're physical. They just bumped us out of way and went after it."

Heather Butler, the star guard who hurt the Rebels so badly last year, had another big game, scoring 32 points. But it was the post position that caused the most problems for the Rebs. Heather Griffin had 27 points and 12 rebounds. Aubrey Reedy had 13 points and 11 boards.

Foul troubles killed South Greene's hopes. Both Brandi Crum and Shelby Hicks had three fouls before the second quarter was halfway over. With the huge size disadvantage, Dyer felt he had to keep Hicks in the game, and she got her fourth before halftime.

The first half saw the Rebels pick up 11 fouls to only 3 against Gibson County. The Pioneers made 12-of-15 free throws in the opening two quarters. South Greene never went to the stripe.

Gibson Coach David Russell obviously wasn't expecting a blowout.

"That first quarter run got us some separation," he said. "They got some foul calls against them that frustrated them and helped us. Once they got into foul trouble with 22 (Crum) and 32 (Hicks), we controlled the boards."

Russell said he reminded his team at halftime, with a big 48-19 lead, that South Greene was a good program, and they wouldn't quit. His team never let up in the second half.

"We wanted to keep Dye (Rechelle) from pushing the ball at us," the coach said. "We did a pretty good job of stopping that."

Butler, Gibson's all-star point guard who will play at UT-Martin next season, said she was happy her team played so well.

"We didn't really know what to expect in this game," Butler said. "We knew they (South Greene) were good. We played them last year. We just had a good game."

Crum started the game for South Greene by swishing a 3-pointer, then Maelyn Cutshaw scored in transition to put the Rebs up 5-0. Ansley Ricker drove the lane at the 5:00 mark for a layup that put the Rebels ahead 9-8, but then the wheels ran off.

Courtney Haynes hit two threes, while Butler and Reedy hit one apiece as all the shots began to fall and the Rebs made four turnovers during that span. That spurt was all that Gibson County needed to propel them to an easy win.

"We wanted to try to make them do some things they weren't comfortable with," Dyer said. "I think we did that early, but then they made some adjustments and started making all those tough shots. Then it seemed like every time we turned around we were fouling. It got away in a hurry then."

South Greene has been to the state tournament 25 times. Only one other team in state history -- Bradley Central -- has made it that many times. This was the worst state tournament loss for the Rebels since an 80-42 loss to Meigs County in the 1995 tournament.

Ricker was the only Rebel in double figure scoring with 13. Cutshaw had nine. South Greene finishes the year with a 27-7 worksheet and a "final four" finish.