Final 48 Second Day Features Classes 3A And 4A Semis
BIRMINGHAM—The second day of action in the Final 48 State Basketball Championships here Wednesday at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex featured Classes 3A and 4A girls and boys semifinal rounds.
Summaries of the games:
Class 3A Girls Semifinals
Madison Academy 81, T.R. Miller 36
In a semifinal rematch of the Class 3A 2009 state finals, Madison Academy (35-3) rolled over defending state champion T.R. Miller 81-36 Wednesday morning.
The Mustangs outscored the Tigers (26-3) 26-4 in the final quarter and shut out Coach Ronald Jackson’s girls over the last 5:53 of the game. Four players were in double figures for Madison Academy, including Nyla Johnson with 16, Amara Mayers 13, Lydia McGee 11, and Hallie Loney 10. McGee also had a team high seven rebounds and Johnson had five assists for Coach Brian Privett’s Mustangs.
Nakiya Smith led T.R. Miller with 15 points. Leah Brundidge added 11 and Keyda Shedrone 10.
Madison Academy will play Sumter County in the 3A girls finals Friday night at 6 p.m.
Sumter County 52, Holly Pond 37
Sumter County moved into the Class 3A finals as guard KaTia May scored 22 points in the 52-37 victory over Holly Pond.
May was 10-of-18 shooting and also handed out three assists. Doretha Holloway added nine points and Juanice Newton had nine plus seven rebounds for the Wildcats (25-3).
Kelsey Hawkins paced Holly Pond (28-7) with 10 points and seven rebounds. Courtney Deese had nine points.
Sumter County takes on Madison Academy in the 3A girls finals Friday at 6 p.m.
Class 3A Boys Semifinals
Madison Academy 63, Central-Hayneville 36
Madison Academy’s Broncos advanced to the Class 3A boys state finals for the fifth straight year Wednesday with a 63-36 win over Central-Hayneville in the semis.
Chandler Mack was red-hot, hitting 10-of-13 shots to finish with a game high 21 points. Jordan Matthews dominated the boards with a 2010 Final 48 tournament-leading 21 rebounds, including 15 defensive grabs. He also scored 18 points with an 8-of-11 shooting effort.
Madison Academy, which won the 3A state crowns in 2006, 2007 and 2008, fell in the finals to Leeds in 2009. The 2010 finals against Greene County will be Friday night at 8 p.m.
Coach Andy Blackston’s Mustangs (21-11) shot 54.2 percent from the field for the game (26-of-48) and out-rebounded the Lions (16-16), 43-30.
Antjuan Ball had 12 points and eight rebounds for Central-Hayneville.
Greene County 46, Piedmont 41
Piedmont’s attempt to become the second straight Class 3A school to win football and boys basketball titles in the same year fell short Wednesday, thanks to a tenacious defensive effort by Greene County.
The Tigers (22-7) from Eutaw limited the Bulldogs (23-8) to just 13 made field goals and 24.1 percent shooting from the floor for the game to roll into the finals with as 46-41 win Wednesday afternoon.
Piedmont made just 6-of-27 3-point tries.
The Bulldogs defense slowed Greene County as well. Coach Rodney Wesley’s Tigers shot only 36.4 percent for the game with only 16 made field goals.
Neiko Hunter had 16 points and Phillip Cherry added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Hunter was also 7-of-11 at the foul line.
Piedmont, which won the 3A football title in December, was led by Matthew Craig’s 18 points. Jamal Johnson had 11, including 3-of-13 treys attempted. Leeds won the football and basketball titles last season. Piedmont and Leeds compete in the same Region 5.
Greene County now plays Madison Academy in the finals Friday night at 8 p.m.
Class 4A Girls Semifinals
Deshler 52, Thomasville 48
Deshler staved off a valiant comeback effort from Thomasville’s Tigers Wednesday afternoon and advanced to the Class 4A girls state finals for the seventh time in this decade with the 52-48 win. Midfield will be the opponent Saturday at 9 a.m.
Deshler (27-5) led 37-24 with 1:31 left in the third quarter, but Thomasville (19-5) turned to its press in the final period to battle back to within a point with 3:43 to play.
Some clutch free-throw shooting by Jothani Dixon sealed the win in the final minute.
Dixon finished with seven points, five coming at the foul line. Ashley Southern led Deshler with 22 points and 17 rebounds. Raj’Ene Swopes added 11 points and 12 rebounds for Coach Jana Killen’s Lady Tigers.
Kyera Rowe led Thomasville with 13 points and 15 rebounds. Desirea Bettis and Twarne Witherspoon added 12 points each.
Midfield 51, DAR 44
Midfield advanced to the girls state basketball finals for the fifth time in the last six years with a 51-44 win over DAR in the Class 4A semifinals Wednesday night.
The Lady Patriots reached the 3A finals in 2005, losing to Pisgah, 69-65. Two years later, Coach Reggie Ware’s girls returned to the championship spotlight by reeling off three straight Class 4A titles with wins over Ashford in the 2007 finals, over Deshler in the 2008 championship game and over Anniston in 2009.
Ware said this year’s semifinal win over DAR was perhaps the most satisfying of his coaching career. The Patriots came into regional competition at 13-14 and are now in the finals at 16-14, thanks to a rugged schedule that included a Central Regional championship win over powerful Ramsay.
Midfield got 34 points in the paint and 18 off DAR turnovers in Wednesday’s win. Guard Jasmine Steele had five steals, four assists and six rebounds en route to a game-high 18 points. Lakiera Lowe added 12 points and seven rebounds.
Midfield’s poor free-throw shooting--only 8-of-21 for the game--helped DAR claw back into the contest. A strong fourth-quarter sealed the win.
Monica Cooper led DAR (17-14) with 13 points and 17 rebounds. Addie Kennamer also had 13 points.
Midfield meets Deshler in the 2010 finals Saturday morning at 9 a.m.
Class 4A Boys Semifinals
Brewbaker Tech 65, Columbia 54
University of Virginia signee K.T. Harrell scored 27 points and collected 10 rebounds Wednesday to push Brewbaker Tech (24-5) of Montgomery into the Class 4A boys state finals against Ramsay Saturday at 11 a.m.
Harrell was 8-of-15 from the field and 10-of-13 at the foul line as the Rams downed Columbia (23-11) of Huntsville 65-54.
Giovanni Smith added 16 points and Chris Bendolph had 15 for Brewbaker. Bendolph also had nine rebounds as the Rams of Coach Chauncey Shines held a 49-32 advantage on the boards.
Derek Kelly led Columbia with 16 points and Denzel Harrison had 11. Robert Flowers cleared a team-high eight rebounds.
Brewbaker is making its first state championship game appearance in the school’s short history. The Rams do not have a home gymnasium and played most of their home games at Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery.
Ramsay 70, Anniston 56
Ramsay’s Rams blistered the nets in the first half, shooting 63 percent from the field, and then fought off defending state champion Anniston in the second half to win the Class 4A semifinal basketball battle, 70-56.
With the win, Coach Kelly Cheatham’s Rams (23-8) advance to the Class 4A boys state finals Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
Lonnie Smith led the Rams shooting effort with 27 points. He was 3-of-6 from 3-point land and also cleared 10 rebounds. Ralph Floyd was 3-of-4 on treys and added 14 points. He also had seven assists, thanks to his dazzling passes inside. Stuart Threadgill chipped in 11 points.
Anniston (24-10) got 19 points from Michael Rush with Quintarious Hutchinson adding 16 and Wanarous Snodgrass 15. Tony Averitte also had 10 rebounds.