Final 48 Second Day Features Classes 3A And 4A
The second day of action Wednesday in the 2012 Final 48 State Basketball Championships at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham featured Classes 3A and 4A girls and boys semifinal rounds.
Class 3A Girls Semifinals
Greensboro 58, Madison Academy 56
BIRMINGHAM – Guard Cadedra Williams sank two free throws with five seconds remaining to lift Greensboro (31-2) to a 58-56 win over defending Class 3A girls state champion Madison Academy Wednesday morning.
The semifinal contest opened the second day of AHSAA Final 48 state tournament action at the BJCC Arena.
Williams was 4-of-6 at the foul line and finished with four points. She added six assists helped double-team Madison Academy senior standout Lydia McGee in the fourth quarter. McGee led all scorers with 29 points and was 11-of-16 at the foul line to help the Lady Mustangs (23-11) claw back late in the game.
Madison Academy had one last chance to tie or win with one second left. The inbound pass to McGee was well defended by the Raiders’ defense and her final shot was released a fraction after the final buzzer.
McGee also had a game-high 11 rebounds and was 9-of-12 from the field.
Malesha Williams led Greensboro, which moves into the finals Friday night at 5:30 p.m., with 21 points. She was 7-of-11 from the foul line and had seven rebounds and four steals. Kasabrian Fields added 17 points.
Lauderdale County 62, Montgomery Academy 53
Lauderdale County placed three girls in double figures as the Tigers (32-5) advanced to the Class 3A state finals with a 62-53 win over Montgomery Academy.
Karlee Brown had 16 points, Chatara Cox added 15 and Ivy Wallen 11 for Lauderdale County. Cox also had nine rebounds and five steals and Wallen had five assists.
Miah Brooks led Montgomery Academy (27-5) with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Darlene Smith chipped in 13 points and Layne Doctson 10.
The Tigers will face Greensboro in the finals Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Class 3A Boys Semifinals
Greensboro 60, Madison Academy 56
Greensboro senior guard Takendrick Britford’s two free throws with 20 seconds remaining sealed the defending Class 3A state champion Raiders’ 60-56 win over Madison Academy and put the winners in the state finals for the second year in a row.
New Coach Craig Williams’ team trailed 21-14 but steadily chipped away at a Madison Academy team anchored by eighth grader Josh Langford and freshman Kerryon Johnson. Langford finished with 24 points and Johnson had 22 and a game-high 11 rebounds. The Mustangs (21-12) managed only 10 points from their remaining starters.
Britford led Greensboro (27-6) with 18 points. His clutch 7-of-9 free-throw shooting was a major key. Guard Donald King also added 17. The Mustangs limited 2011 state tournament MVP Jimmie Taylor to just four points. The 6-foot-10 junior scored just four points on a 2-of-5 shooting effort. His hook with 59 seconds left put Greensboro up by four 58-54. Taylor had four rebounds and a season-low one blocked shot.
Willie Parker added nine points and Kavoris Owens pulled down nine rebounds.
Greensboro will play in the finals Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
Carbon Hill 56, Montgomery Academy 47
Carbon Hill High School senior guard Tylor Owens scored a season-high 30 points to spark the Bulldogs (27-7) to a 56-47 win over Montgomery Academy Wednesday in the Class 3A boys state tournament semifinals.
Owens was 14-of-18 at the foul line and 8-of-12 from the field as Carbon Hill advanced to the state finals for the first time. The Bulldogs will take on defending state champion Greensboro in the finals Friday night at 7:30.
Brandon Smith added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Freshman Joshua Thomas scored 19 points and Bolling Starke added 12 for Montgomery Academy (24-9).
Class 4A Girls Semifinals
Jacksonville 53, Midfield 42
Sharon Osterbind scored 18 points and cleared 12 rebounds to lead Jacksonville to a 53-42 win over Midfield in the semifinals of the Class 4A girls state yournament.
The Golden Eagles (30-4) limited the Patriots (18-14) to just 13 points in the first half and never relinquished the lead to coast into Saturday’s 9 a.m. finals.
Senior point guard Lacey Buchanon scored nine points and also had six assists while running the Jacksonville offense, getting the ball inside to Osterbind and Keyatta Ervin. Ervin had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Jasmine Steele, Midfield’s 5-foot-1 senior point guard who has signed with the University of Alabama, scored 30 points to lead all scorers. She was 11-of-42 from the field, 5-of-7 at the foul line and had six rebounds. LaToya Wilson had four points and a game-high 16 rebounds.
Andalusia 62, Good Hope 54
Andalusia out-rebounded Good Hope 40-26 and moved into the Class 4A Girls state finals with a 62-54 win.
Shi’Amber Townsend pulled down 16 rebounds including eight on the offensive end and finished with a game-high 27 points for Coach Bennie Shellhouse’s Bulldogs (30-2), who play Jacksonville (30-4) in the championship game Saturday at 9 a.m. Townsend sank 12-of-19 free throws. Teammate Alexis Horton added 16 points.
Nina Mills led Good Hope (33-2) with 17 points. She was 9-of-10 at the foul line. Kayla Tillman added 13 points and Kayla Elrod had 10. Elrod also had four steals.
Class 4A Boys Semifinals
Midfield 71, Oneonta 52
Senior Brandon Moss scored 29 points, had seven rebounds and blocked five shots as Midfield downed Oneonta 71-52 in the semifinals of the Class 4A Boys state tournament.
With the win, the Patriots (15-21) advance to the 4A finals Saturday at 9 a.m.
Moss was 9-of-13 from the field including 4-of-6 from the 3-point arc. He also sank 7-of-9 free throws in his best all-around game of the season. Coach Darrell Barber got 21 points from freshman Tawarren Grant and 10 from Christian Jones.
Keenan Warren led Oneonta (27-6) with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Ryne Wester chipped in eight points.
Butler 48, Escambia County 31
Butler limited Escambia County to just 11 second-half points on the way to a 48-31 win in the Class 4A Boys state tournament semifinals.
The victory sets up Saturday’s 11a.m. championship game with Midfield (15-21).
Robert Steele had 13 points and Justin Pride added 10 to pace the Rebels (25-6), who are going for their sixth state crown since 2004. Coach Jack Doss’ defense limited the Blue Devils (27-5) to a 31.7 percent shooting including only 19 percent in the final two quarters.
Marcus Drake added seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds for Butler.
Escambia County, which came into the semis riding a 26-game winning streak, were paced by Desmond Williams’ 10 points and seven rebounds. Tyrell Ford added eight points.