HANCEVILLE – It didn't pay to be the favorite in Class 6A of the Alabama High School Athletic Association Northwest Basketball Regional Tournament Tuesday. Two upsets reigned at Tom Drake Coliseum, beginning with the Hartselle Lady Tigers taking down No. 5 ranked Austin 48-45.
Not long after that, the Muscle Shoals Trojans prevented Lee-Huntsville from repeating as the best in the region, turning back the Generals 65-59.
Hartselle scored its second upset of a Top 10 opponent in the region and finally got some satisfaction with Austin. The Lady Tigers lost three times to the Lady Bears, including a 57-47 setback in the Area 15 championship on Feb.12.
The three losses by Hartselle to Austin coming into the regional final were by a total margin of 20 points. This time, the Lady Tigers went toe-to-toe with the Lady Black Bears, leading 11-10 after the first and holding on to a 24-23 advantage at halftime.
Austin got things going in the third with a 17-7 run and moved into the lead at 40-31. Poise was shown by Hartselle during the fourth quarter- getting 17 points and allowing Austin just five.
Lindsay Berry put the Lady Tigers into the lead to stay with less than 30 seconds left on a 15-foot jumper. Shortly after, a couple of free throws by freshman guard Moriah Terry gave Hartselle a 48-45 lead as Austin had a chance to tie the game, but failed to convert.
Berry popped in 12 points and was named the regional MVP for the 24-11 Lady Tigers. Taylor added 12, Kayla Key got eight and Anna Mathis netted six. Taylor and Mathis were on the All-Tournament team.
Lauren Fitch was the top scorer with 23 for Austin, who finish the year at 27-6. Katie Speegle contributed 11, with both earning All-Tournament honors.
Muscle Shoals jumped on Lee-Huntsville by a 20-12 first quarter lead and extended it to 42-25 at the break when the Trojans scored a 3-point field goal as time expired in the second.
Lee-Huntsville made a game of it, narrowing the deficit to 61-59 in the closing seconds. Muscle Shoals fought off the challenge and added to its advantage at the foul line.
Calvin Bak anchored the upset with 15 points for the Trojans, shooting four of seven from 3-point territory and three of three at the foul circle.
MVP Braxton Winston was seven of nine from the line and finished the championship scoring 11 points.
Leading the Generals were Evan Wiley with 18, Tracey Burnett 16 and Ashton Ray 12.
Hartselle and Muscle Shoals now go from the Northwest Regional to the AHSAA Final Four in Birmingham. Both take to the Legacy Arena at the BJCC Wednesday with the Lady Tigers playing at 9 a.m. and the Trojans in a 10:30 a.m. assignment.
