Wenonah, Erwin, Hillcrest-Evergreen, Bob Jones Win
Join Greensboro And Madison Academy As State Basketball Champions
BIRMINGHAM--The Wenonah boys and Erwin girls won the Class 5A titles, the Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa boys and Bob Jones girls grabbed the Class 6A crowns, and the Greensboro boys and Madison Academy girls took top honors in Class 3A here Saturday on the final day of the 2011 AHSAA Final 48 State Basketball Championships at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.
Class 5A Boys Championship
Wenonah 89, Lee-Huntsville 85
Wenonah staged the most unlikely comeback in Final 48 history Saturday night to claim the Class 5A state basketball championship over defending Lee-Huntsville 89-85.
The Generals (25-9) appeared well on their way to their second straight title with an 18-point 69-51 lead with 6:51 to play. The Dragons reeled off 38 points the rest of the way, getting the lead for good with 50 seconds remaining when tournament MVP Jeremy Bogus slammed a dunk to make it 83-81.
Bogus, who finished with 25 points, sank four free throws the rest of the way to seal the incredible win. Coach Cedric Lane’s Dragons (31-4) outscored Lee in the final quarter 43-23.
The game had 61 personal fouls called, 91 free throws attempted and 58 free throws made. Wenonah was 28-of-44 with Bogus sinking 8-of-12. The Generals were 30-of-47 with Jacob Perry sinking 8-of-10.
Nigel Whatley and Melvin Pettway added 15 points each for Wenonah and Chase Sadler had 11.
Lee was led by Devin Langford’s 17 points and 10 rebounds. He was 5-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the 3-point line. Perry had 14 points, Bobby Strickland added 15 and Dominic Bass 10.
2011 Class 5A Boys All-Tournament Team: Jeremy Bogus, Wenonah (MVP); Tonarrius Tate, Wenonah; Nigel Whatley, Wenonah; Devin Langford, Lee; Jacob Perry, Lee; Ricky Tarrant, Pleasant Grove; Fredrick Turner, Wilcox Central.
Class 5A Girls Championship
Erwin 48, Fairfield 47
Erwin senior Porshia Blue sank a free throw with four seconds remaining Saturday night to lift the Lady Eagles to a 48-47 victory over defending state champion Fairfield in the finals of the Class 5A state girls basketball tournament.
Blue went to the line for Erwin (29-3) with the game tied at 47-all and made the first. The second missed and the Tigers rebounded but were unable to get a shot off before the final buzzer sounded.
Blue, named the 5A state tournament MVP, finished the night with 22 points, eight rebounds--seven on the defensive boards, three steals and three assists. Keonna Farmer and Tearra Sams added 10 points each. Coach Ulysses Haynes’ Eagles out-rebounded the shorter Fairfield team 33-21.
Fairfield (25-9) was led by Krista Simmons’ 17 points. Ashley Rodgers had 14 and Kendara Watts added 10. Kathryn Goldsby also had five points and six assists for Coach Tiffany Frederick’s Tigers.
2011 Class 5A Girls All-Tournament Team: Porshia Blue, Erwin (MVP); Tearra Sams, Erwin; Keonna Farmer, Erwin; Krista Simmons, Fairfield; Kendara Watts, Fairfield; Ashley Rodgers, Fairfield; Riley Northway, Brewer.
Class 6A Boys Championship
Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 48, Murphy 46
Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa center Reginald Spencer was almost perfect. The 6-foot-6 senior was 9-of-10 from the field and perfect on both free throws to finish with 20 points as the Patriots (32-3) nipped Murphy 48-46 Saturday in the finals of the Class 6A state basketball tournament.
Spencer also had six rebounds and three blocked shots to earn MVP honors. Jalen Houston added eight points, Timothy Anderson and Perrin Buford added six each for Coach Scott Suttles’ Patriots. Hillcrest shot 57.9 percent from the field for the game.
Murphy (25-6), which trailed 31-21 at the half, placed three players in double figures, Antonio Jones with 16, Troyce Manassa 12 and DeVante White 11. Jones also had three steals.
2011 Class 6A Boys All-Tournament Team: Reginald Spencer, Hillcrest (MVP); Jalen Houston, Hillcrest; Antonio Jones, Murphy; Troyce Manassa, Murphy; William Dillard, Vestavia Hills; Roquez Johnson, Carver-Montgomery.
Class 6A Girls Championship
Bob Jones 39, Hoover 36
Bob Jones guard Deasha Campbell only went to the foul line two times Saturday in the Class 6A girls state championship game with Hoover, but she made them both with 21 seconds remaining and the Lady Patriots defense did the rest as Bob Jones claimed the state crown with a 39-36 win.
Coach Tim Miller's Patriots (31-7) won their third state championship in the last four years and Hoover was the opposition in the last three title contests. Bob Jones won in 2008 and 2009 and the Bucs won in 2010.
Hoover (33-4) led 28-18 with 5:49 left in the third quarter, but Bob Jones scored 10 of the game’s next 12 points to trail by two 30-28 going into the final period.
Neither team led by more than three points in the fourth quarter.
Tierra Jones had 15 points, including hitting 11 of 16 free throws, and state tourney MVP Jasmine Jones added nine points and 14 rebounds. Joidon Jennings added seven points.
Brieon Allen led Hoover with 11 points and Chardonaye Fuqua added 10.
2011 Class 6A Girls All-Tournament Team: Jasmine Jones, Bob Jones (MVP); Joidon Jennings, Bob Jones; Tierra Jones, Bob Jones; Chardonaye Fuqua, Hoover; Breion Allen, Hoover; Breigha Cochran, Hoover.
Class 3A Boys Championship
Greensboro 54, Clarke County 45
Greensboro High School (28-6) captured its first Class 3A state boys basketball championship Saturday – claiming the victory in part with a defense that made good shot opportunities hard to find for the Bulldogs (28-4).
A big reason was 6-foot-9 sophomore center Jimmie Taylor. The Raiders shot blocker officially had nine--eight coming in the first half--as Greensboro streaked a 28-15 lead by intermission. Taylor earned MVP honors with 15 points and 13 rebounds in addition to his blocks. He also forced numerous other shots to be altered and kept Clarke County’s penetrating offense from finding its usual rhythm.
Donald King added 13 points, Miguel Shelton eight points and eight rebounds, and Charvis Teacher scored seven points, had four steals and three assists for Coach Earlando Courtney’s Raiders.
CorDerrio Hasewood led Clarke County with 18 points. Daquinton Taite added 13 and Jamal Harris 12.
2011 Class 3A All-Tournament Team: Jimmie Taylor, Greensboro (MVP); Charvis Teacher, Greensboro; Miguel Shelton, Greensboro; Jamal Harris, Clarke County; CorDerrio Hasewood, Clarke County; Tyler Owens, Carbon Hill.
Class 3A Girls Championship
Madison Academy 63, Danville 31
Madison Academy found the third time was the charm Saturday morning. The Mustangs (36-3), playing in their third consecutive Final 48 Class 3A girls state finals, raced to a 20-point first-half lead, then coasted to a 63-31 victory over Danville to claim the school’s first state girls basketball championship.
Madison Academy lost 53-50 to T.R. Miller in the 2009 finals and by the same score to Sumter County in last year’s title game.
Amara Mayers and Nyla Johnson each scored 16 points to lead Coach Brian Privett’s Mustangs, who finished with a school-record 36 win – just one shy of the state girls record of 37 set by Paint Rock Valley in the 1989-90 season. Lydia McGee chipped in 10 points and Johnson also had 10 rebounds. All three girls handed out three assists.
Ashley Nance led Danville (29-6) with a game-high 21 points and a team-high six rebounds. Coach Paul Wilson’s Hawks had knocked off Clements, the Class 2A state champs in 2010, in the Northwest Regional and downed defending 3A champion Sumter County in the Final 48 semifinals to reach the title game.
2011 Class 3A All-Tournament Team: Nyla Johnson, Madison Academy (MVP); Amara Mayers, Madison Academy; Lydia McGee, Madison Academy; Ashley Nance, Danville; Kayloni Cross, Danville; Juanice Newton, Sumter County.
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