BIRMINGHAM – Jasper High School had never played in the AHSAA State Finals at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena before Wednesday night.
Nobody could tell.
Jasper scored the game’s first 14 points, and Mia Hollingsworth made six 3-pointers, all in the first half, as the Vikings rolled to a 64-31 victory over Brewbaker Tech (19-15) in the AHSAA State Basketball Championships Class 5A girls’ semifinals. The Vikings (30-4) did not commit a turnover in the first half.
“I love how we came out,” Jasper coach Blake Laney said. “We started fast. You would have thought it was our fourth or fifth trip to the final four. They handled it. The moment wasn’t too big. I think we showed we’re a force to be reckoned with.
Hollingsworth finished with 26 points and three assists, and Missy Odom added 19 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Idaysia Mercer had 13 points, five steals and two assists.
Jasper advances to Saturday’s championship game against Scottsboro (26-6) or Gulf Shores (29-6), which play later Wednesday in the other state semifinal. Tip-off for Saturday’s title game is set for 9 a.m. Jasper is trying to win its first girls’ basketball state title in school history.
Jasper led 18-3 at end of the first quarter and 40-11 at halftime and 56-18 at the end of the third quarter.
“They can shoot the ball,” Brewbaker Tech coach Cynthia Thompson said, referring to the Vikings. “Once they started shooting, they kept shooting. They were just hitting shots.”
Erin Martin led Brewbaker with 10 points, while Kennedi McGhee and Jillian Baine had nine points apiece. McGhee added 12 rebounds.
