CLASS 4A, AREA 5 TOURNEY: Trinity, Catholic to meet again after semifinal wins
Tallassee’s London O'Neal battles Lilly Smith for a loose ball in the Wildcats’ win in the Class 4A, Area 5 semifinals at Catholic on Monday. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
There were no surprises in Trinity’s 59-23 win over Tallassee in the 4A Area 5 tournament semifinals in the Catholic gym on Monday.
The three-time defending state champions advanced to the area tournament finals for the fifth consecutive year and in the process qualified for the postseason. Mission accomplished.
“Look, that’s your first do-or-die game of the year,” Trinity coach Blake Smith said. “And it comes with some tension. They had played us pretty well at our place (earlier this season), a pretty athletic team. But our girls came in locked in and ready to go today.
“It’s a liberating feeling. It gives you some freedom coming into (the area tournament finals) tomorrow night. We’d love to come in and win because of how it sets you up, going forward. But either way, we’re still in position to try and defend what’s been ours the last three years.”
Trinity (19-7) made short work of the Tigers, leading 13-6 at the end of the first quarter before scoring 24 points in the second quarter for a 37-13 lead. Lilly Smith had 15 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and four assists, followed by Ellie Causey with 14 points and eight rebounds, Emory Causey with 13 points and Lizzie Causey with eight points. Micaiah Shelton grabbed eight rebounds.
London O’Neal led the Tigers with 10 points.
The Wildcats advance to the area tournament finals on Tuesday against Catholic. The Knights won 53-44 in December in a tournament at Trinity and 60-50 in a meeting at Catholic on Jan. 6. Trinity won the last meeting, 56-53, in the Trinity gym on Jan. 30.
The two teams might face each other a fifth time in the upcoming Central Regional final at Alabama State as they did a year ago.
Tuesday’s meeting is important -- the winner hosts the sub-regional round, likely against Talladega, and avoids Pleasant Grove in the Central Regional semifinals -- but the possibility of meeting again in the Central Regional finals creates an interesting strategy decision for both coaches.
“The difference is the matchup it may get you in the regional,” Smith said. “Pleasant Grove is coming out of another area and one of us will likely match up with them in the regional (semifinals). We’d rather not do that. And we’d rather not go on the road for the sub-regional. Obviously, there’s always going to be a little gamesmanship between the coaches where maybe you hold on to some things. But (assistant) coach Clinton (Adams) and I will get together and figure out our strategy on that.
“We’re just glad we won this one.”
Catholic’s Hannah Smith is fouled on a layup in the Knights’ win on Monday. (Tim Gayle)
Catholic 82 , BTW 50
Booker T. Washington ran two, and sometimes three, players toward Catholic’s Hannah Smith in an effort to slow down the senior.
Smith accepted the challenge, managing just 16 points but pulling down 14 rebounds, handing out three assists and coming up with five steals as teammates Jordan Robinson, Kierstyn Green and Ajah Tuggle combined for 55 points in an 82-50 rout of the Golden Eagles in the 4A Area 5 tournament semifinals at Catholic on Monday afternoon.
“She got a challenge today with them trying to do a box and one,” Catholic coach Courtney Ward said. “I think at one point they put two people on her, almost three people on her.”
Catholic (18-6) won for the eighth time in the last nine games, advancing to the area tournament championship game against Trinity on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Catholic defeated Trinity twice during the regular season before losing a third meeting with the Wildcats on Jan. 30.
The Knights fired out to a 32-6 lead over the Golden Eagles in the first quarter, holding Smith to just two baskets as the senior was content to pass the ball to her teammates. Tuggle had 12 of her 17 points in the first quarter, while Robinson had 11 of her 27 points in the first eight minutes.
Catholic extended the lead to 50-17 at the half before playing the reserves for long stretches in the second half.
“This win tonight wasn’t the best win, it wasn’t the prettiest win, but I’m glad we won so we can go to the area championship and just keep going farther,” Smith said.
Catholic earned its fourth consecutive postseason trip in the process. Win or lose against Trinity, the Knights will play a sub-regional game on Friday with the opportunity to advance to the Central Regionals at Alabama State.
Last year, the Knights reached the regional finals before losing to Trinity. First, they’ll have to face the Wildcats in the area tournament finals on Tuesday.
“Now, it’s just being more aggressive on defense, being better at our defense because we throw a lot of different defenses into every game,” Ward said. “Just conquering what we have set for our team goals.”
Zadejha Harris and Tylizea Sanders each had 12 points to lead Booker T. Washington.