Bessemer City, NC girls basketball player among the top in the U.S.

BESSEMER CITY, N.C. — In a quiet suburb like Bessemer City, with a high school that competes in 1A, the sound of a basketball dropping through the net can be heard over and over again.

“I’m not really crafty but I know how to get to the rack, finish well, shoot a little bit here and there but I just play,” Bessemer City senior Tionna Pettus said.

‘Shoot a little bit’ is an understatement; Pettus is the highest scorer in the country, averaging more than 46 points per game.

“Can  you imagine, Bessemer City High School, a small 1A school?” Bessemer City girls basketball coach Danny McDowell said.

“Very small school, so it’s not like I’m gonna walk around here and say, ‘Oh I’m big dog’ or something like that,” said Pettus.

She grew up playing basketball with her brother Randall, who made her into the defense-first player she is.

“We would play out there and anytime I would beat him or anything we would have to play again, he would never go without losing,” said Pettus. “He just pushed me really hard, made me work on my craft really hard and I just learned how to play defense because of him.”

“I felt like if I could guard him I could guard anybody,” she added.

Pettus prides herself on her defense, averaging a triple-double with 12 rebounds and 10 steals per game. She believes her defense turns into her offense. 

This season, Pettus had a 65-point game, breaking the single-game girls and boys records at Bessemer City — a record last held by her brother.

“In the game, I thought I was out here playing until I heard my sister and my dad in the stands. They were like, ‘13 more points and I’ll break [the girl’s] record. Then when I broke hers, I said I had to break my brother’s record. I just feel like its something I gotta do,” said Pettus.

She will soon look up and see her picture on the gym walls as the girl’s single-game record leader, placed next to her brother’s poster.

“It means a lot to me to keep the legacy going to be up there when people come in, they’re gonna see two Pettuses up there,” said Pettus. “They’re gonna be like  a brother and a sister did that?’”

This season, other teams’ scouting reports have zeroed in on Tionna.

“Every game there will be two or three or four people on her and she still puts up the numbers. Never gets guarded one-on-one, always two or three,” said McDowell.  “She can get the rebound and go coast-to-coast, she can get a steal. I mean she does all those things. Most people would be frustrated — she just welcomes the challenge. That’s a good player.”

“Having two people guarding me makes me think harder and play harder and showing me what I can do,” noted Pettus.

While Pettus leads the nation, she also leads her team with grace and stands as a positive leader for her teammates.

“I am so proud just to be associated with her as a person first and foremost. Basketball is secondary, that’s just the cherry on top of the ice cream cone, you know? She’s just that type of kid,” said McDowell.

Tionna Pettus says she has a number of college offers and plans to make official visits coming soon, as she hopes to continue playing basketball at the next level.

Contact Danielle Stein at dstein@wcnc.com and follow her on X and Instagram.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts that impact you from WCNC Charlotte, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app and enable push notifications.