The third-seeded Forrest Lady Rockets opened up District 12-AA Tournament play Monday night at Chapel Hill and made short work of Murfreesboro Central Magnet School (MCM), blowing out the Lady Tigers 57-16.

With the win, Forrest (20-8) reached the 20-win mark for the first time in three years and sixth in Jeremy Jean’s 12-year career as the Lady Rockets’ head coach.

“That is something I always look for every year hoping to get to,” Jean said. “This year, we got it now so we can look forward to number twenty-one and keep getting better.”

Forrest also clinched a berth in next week’s Region 6-AA Tournament at Community and secured a rubber game with the second-seeded and four-time state champion Marshall County Tigerettes (16-7) at Dottie Kelso Memorial Gymnasium in Lewisburg in Thursday night’s district tournament semifinal at 7:30 p.m.

“I feel better about coming in to the tournament this year because we are healthy,” Jean said. “Last year we were limping in to the tournament, but still made the first round of the region.”

“I’m hoping this year that we keep playing this way and hopefully we can come out on top.”

MCHS won the first matchup at Lewisburg and the Lady Rockets tied the season series with a win at Chapel Hill on Friday night.

In the four/five seed game Monday night at Giles County, the Lady Bobcats (12-13) squeezed by Community 42-41 and will take on eighth-ranked Nolensville (21-4) at Unionville in Thursday night’s first game at 6 p.m.

The Forrest defense held MCM under double digits in all four quarters Monday night and climbed to the 35-point TSSAA Mercy-Rule by the end of the third period.

The Lady Tigers did not have a made field goal in the first and third quarters.

Jaide Langley and Laura Mealer had 13 points apiece for high-scoring honors and Carissa Curtis was also in double figures with 10 points.

Ally Blanton was next with eight points, Alex Davenport had two 3-pointers for six points, and Shea Lewis and Megan Mealer both converted a three-point play the old-fashioned for three points.

Olivia Hart had eight points to lead the Lady Tigers in the scoring column and Kaitlin Polly scored five, Addison Melton had two, and Helen Smith had one marker.

MCM did not make a 3-pointer in the contest while Langley and Davenport had two apiece and Blanton and Curtis had one trey each.

Mealer opened the scoring in the game and then stole the rock and scored again to set a torrid pace for the Lady Rockets.

After a Hart free throw, Mealer scored her sixth point and Curtis drained a 3-pointer to make it 9-1.

Kaitlin Polly came up with a pair of free throws for MCM before Forrest came up with a 7-0 run to end the second period via a Blanton bucket and 3-pointer and a buzzer beater in the lane jumper by Curtis.

Langley had a big second period, scoring seven out of the 11 points in the quarter for Forrest while MCM tallied eight points and trailed 27-11 at the end of the first half.

Lewis opened up the third period with a three-point play in the paint as the Lady Rockets put the game away with a 19-0 run that included 3-pointers by Langley and Davenport, plus six points by Laura Mealer and four from Curtis as Forrest reached the 35-point mercy rule on Laura Mealer’s final field goal of the period.

MCM momentarily staved off the barrier with its lone point of the third period via a Polly free throw with 30 second remaining in the stanza.

Davenport drilled a 3-pointer to open up the fourth quarter and Blanton followed with a drive to the hoop moments later to make it a 51-12 contest.

After Langley stole the rock and converted a converted a three-point play, Jean emptied the bench with 5:46 remaining in the contest with Forrest leading 54-12.

Forrest and Marshall County have played 10 times since 2001 with each team winning five games.

“They know what we are going to do and we know what they are going to do,” Jean said. “They are going to try to keep the game low scoring and we are going to try to get it up the floor.”

“So whoever can instill their will will come out on top, so we just want to go in there and compete and play the best we can play.”

MCM 3 8 1 4-16

Forrest 16 11 19 11-57

Murfreesboro Central Magnet (16): Olivia Hart 8, Kaitlin Polly 5, Addison Melton 2, Helen Smith 1.

Three-Point Goals (0).

Free Throws (8-for-16): Hart 4-for-8, Polly 3-for-4, Smith 1-for-2, Kathryn Hayes 0-for-2.

Forrest (57): Jaide Langley 13, Laura Mealer 13, Carissa Curtis 10, Ally Blanton 9, Alex Davenport 6, Shea Lewis 3, Megan Mealer 3.

Three-Point Goals (6): Langley 2, Davenport 2, Blanton, Curtis.

Free Throws (5-for-7): Curtis 1-for-2, Laura Mealer 1-for-2, Langley 1-for-1, Lewis 1-for-1, Megan Mealer 1-for-1.

Halftime Score: Forrest 27, MCM 11.