Section Takes Class 2A Girls Championship;
Weather Moves 3A Title Games To Saturday
The Section girls victory in the Class 2A girls title game highlighted Friday's action in the 2012 Final 48 State Basketball Championships at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham.
The Class 6A semifinals were played in the day's first four games, but the Class 3A boys and girls championship games scheduled Friday evening were postponed due to the threat of inclement weather. Those two games are set for Saturday morning with the girls game to start at 8:30 a.m. A revised schedule for Saturday is available HERE.
Class 2A Girls Championship
Section 54, Red Bay 49
Hannah Presley sank four key free throws in the final 28 seconds to lead Section (25-6) to a 54-49 win over Red Bay as the Lions claimed the school’s first AHSAA Class 2A girls state championship.
Taylor Adams earned state tourney MVP honors with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Jasmine Moore added 10 points and Presley finished with eight – all but two coming at the foul line. Coach Danielle Maples’ team forced 17 turnovers in the win.
Red Bay (31-5), coached by Donnie Roberts, was led by Kasey Sparks’ 21 points and nine rebounds. Hannah Sharp had 13 points and Jade Ezzell eight.
Joining Adams on the All-Tourney Team were Presley and Jordan McCarver of Section, Sharp and Sparks of Red Bay and Jada White of Barbour County.
Class 6A Girls Semifinals
Hoover 66, Central-Phenix City 45
Marqu’es Webb had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead Hoover past Central-Phenix City 66-45 in the first round of the Class 6A Girls state tournament.
Webb had seven offensive rebounds and hit 9-of-12 shots from the field.
Nicole Tanner added 14 for the Lady Bucs (30-3) and Chadonae Fuqua chipped in 10. She also had three assists.
Jimechiea Banks led Central (33-2) with 12 points. Portia Watkins added 10.
Hoover will play in the championship game Saturday night at 5.
Bob Jones 55, Davidson 34
Defending Class 6A state champion Bob Jones set up a repeat of last year’s finals with its 55-34 win over Davidson.
The Patriots (36-2) will face Hoover (30-3) in the finals Saturday night. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.
Chandler Elder had 14 points for Bob Jones. Jasmine Jones had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Tierra Jones added eight points and 10 boards.
Davidson (27-8) was led by Jaylan Snowden’s 13 points and Meagan Goode’s 10. Shuntavia Harris added seven points and nine rebounds.
The Patriots have made the 6A state finals for five consecutive times and have played Hoover in the state finals the last three years.
Class 6A Boys Semifinals
Carver-Montgomery 60, Hoover 57
Craig Sword sank two free throws with 17 seconds remaining to seal Carver-Montgomery’s 60-57 win over Hoover to advance the Wolverines to the Class 6A boys state tournament championship game.
Sword finished with 18 points. Carver (28-3) also got a big game from Jeremy Johnson, who finished with 20 points and six rebounds. He was 6-of-6 at the foul line.
Hoover (31-5), making its first Final 48 appearance, was led by Kim Earl, who came off the bench to score 18 points. Brannon Defore finished with nine points, sinking two 3-pointers. His shot at the buzzer that would have tied the game just missed its mark.
Hazel Green 61, Murphy 58
Hazel Green center Willie Spencer’s steal and free throw with three seconds remaining clinched the Trojans’ 61-58 win over Murphy in the Class 6A boys state tournament semifinals. The win sends Hazel Green (22-12) to its first AHSAA state championship game since 1967 when the Trojans won the 2A title with a win over Curry.
Spencer had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead Coach Todd Jeffers’ team. Lewis Sullivan also had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Austin Dempsey had 13 points.
Greg Jones led Murphy (26-6) with 13 points and Romoane Eager added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Hazel Green meets Carver-Montgomery Saturday night at 8:45 in the 6A finals.