AHSAA SOUTH REGIONAL: Prattville girls roll, JAG eliminated in 7A semis
Jayla West-Young led Prattville with 19 points and 14 boards in a win over Alma Bryant on Wednesday in the AHSAA Class 7A Girls South Regional semifinal at Garrett Coliseum. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
After last year’s Prattville High girls’ basketball team reached the state tournament for the first time since 1998, Erica DuBois figured that returning to the South Regional simply wasn’t enough.
“We’re always trying to make a statement, that we belong,” the Prattville coach said. “Prattville hasn’t been here in a long time. So we want to be able to compete at our standard all the time.”
Prattville’s statement came at Alma Bryant’s expense, with the Lions roaring out to a 41-11 halftime lead and cruising to a 76-30 rout of the Hurricanes in the South Regional at Garrett Coliseum on Wednesday morning.
The Lions were making their third consecutive trip to the regionals, but that’s the longest stretch since earning four consecutive trips in 1997-2000. And the seven regional appearances make up the bulk of the program’s nine regional trips since the format was initiated in 1994.
So for DuBois, the challenge was to pick up the pieces from last year’s state semifinalist and find a way to build on the success and establish a tradition.
“We have to put those pieces back together,” she said. “We lost five and out of those five, three were starters -- two seniors and one’s parents were (military personnel now) stationed in Germany. We had to jell all over again, even though it was some of the same players.
“To me, I think we are better defensively because we’re faster. But the thing -- I don’t stress it a lot, but it’s true -- our offense, compared to last year, they’re much better scorers this year. But we had a lot of maturity on the team last year.”
She said the team came together in a loss to Pelham in early December as the players began to comprehend their roles.
“Even though it was the same players, I had to put those players in different positions,” she said. “Being able to maneuver through the same players, but they have to play different roles and telling some others who didn’t play a lot that you can do this, you can do that, building up their confidence that they didn’t build last year because they were on the bench or coming off the bench. Now they have to be key players.
“I want them to understand and believe they are the young ladies that I say they are. They have to believe that. I have some of the best guards, my starting three, in the state of Alabama. I can tell them that all day, but until they believe it…”
Prattville (22-5) has won 13 of its 14 games since that Pelham loss, including 11 straight. Three of those wins came against Enterprise (27-6), which advanced to the regional final with a 47-37 win over Davidson as Sara Amos had 21 points and 23 rebounds. The Lions and Wildcats will meet for the South Regional title on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to the state semifinals against the Hewitt-Trussville-Chelsea winner on Feb. 29 at noon at the Legacy Arena.
Jayla West-Young led Prattville with 19 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals, while KeLeigh Mullens had 17 points, seven rebounds and six steals and U’Llyriah Lewis had 17 points, two assists and three steals. Jaina Misigah scored 15 points, along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Mari-Margret Grayson led Alma Bryant (19-11) with 10 points.
JAG guard Jamicah Adair is pressured by Baker Desmond Williams (3) and Andersen Madyun in the Hornets’ win in the Class 7A Semifinals at Garrett Coliseum. (Tim Gayle)
Baker 67, JAG 49
Baker scored 30 points in the third quarter to pull away from a one-point halftime lead and hand JAG the school’s first-ever postseason loss in the South Regional at Garrett Coliseum on Wednesday.
Baker (25-7) will face Enterprise for the regional championship on Tuesday at 2:15 p.m., with the winner advancing to the state semifinals against the Grissom-Huntsville winner on Feb. 29 at the Legacy Arena.
JAG, playing in its first season after switching over its athletic program from Jeff Davis, ends the season at 23-6.
The Hornets grabbed an early lead but the two teams fought evenly the rest of the half, with the Jaguars grabbing a three-point lead late in the half before Baker claimed a 22-21 lead at halftime. From there, it was all Baker as the Hornets pulled away with a 30-14 margin in the third quarter.
Derrick Florence had 26 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots to lead the Hornets, followed by Lovalle Nelson with 10 points and five assists and Desmond Williams with 10 points and three assists.
JeNarrow Williams led JAG with 10 points and five rebounds. LaDarius Givan had nine points and 12 rebounds.