GDW Analysis:
HANCEVILLE: In six years coaching basketball at Wallace State Community College, Jessica McBrayer had many wonderful victories.
Now in her first season with Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, McBrayer has added to her wonderful list of coaching accomplishments.
Hillcrest will be coached by McBrayer in the AHSAA Class 7A Northwest Regional championship. This happened when Hillcrest outlasted Florence 69 to 62 Friday morning from Tom Drake Coliseum.
Hillcrest has won 16 games in her first season, taking a 3 game winning streak into the title game against Bob Jones on Tuesday.
The Lady Patriots got behind Florence 11 to 0 to start the semifinal game before they adjusted and scored the next 13 points to take the lead at the end of the period.
Hillcrest led 28 to 26 at the half and enjoyed a 22 point 3rd period in moving the lead up to 50 to 40.
The 4th would be a gut check moment for McBrayer and Hillcrest. Florence would get within 2 points prior to the Lady Patriots playing strong in crunch time to claim a 7 point victory.
"We have been in this type of situation before," McBrayer said of her team in hotly contested games.
"We play it with love. We didn't panic after getting down 11 to 0. We are for sure where we want to be."
A catalyst to the team, senior Blakely Nixon, extended the Hillcrest season into next week. The future Wallace State player scored 26 points on shooting 8 of 12, 2 of 3 in treys and 8 of 9 at the line.
She was the MVP of the regional tournament a season ago.
Another senior, Kalyiah Lake, had 16 with 5 FGs, 4 of 5 FTs.
Standing out for Florence was sophomore Joyden Ricks. Ricks produced 31 points for the Lady Falcons with 12 FGs, 7 of 9 FTs, 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
This was a Florence team that visited the Coliseum on December 20 and went back to Northwest Alabama with a 57 to 54 victory against the Cullman Lady Bearcats.
Florence finishes with a 17 & 15.
The regional final will be at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday and on the NFHS Network.
Photo of Hillcrest coach Jessica McBrayer during the 1st period of her team's 7A Northwest Regional semifinal Friday vs. Florence at Wallace State CC.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.
