AHSAA basketball: Huffman girls complete comeback vs. Hillcrest, advance to 6A state final
BIRMINGHAM − No. 3 Hillcrest girls basketball lost 56-50 to No. 6 Huffman in the AHSAA 6A state semifinals Wednesday afternoon at Legacy Arena.
Hillcrest (28-6) led by 11 points late in the third quarter, but Huffman (29-4) took just its second lead with 1:44 left on a Destinee Nelson jumper. Hillcrest led for over 27 minutes, while Huffman led for only 2:01, most coming in the game's final moments.
Huffman faces No. 1 Hazel Green in the championship at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, looking for its first state championship.
The Vikings outscored the Patriots 22-7 in the fourth quarter and had a 22-11 offensive rebound advantage. Hillcrest scored just one point in the final five minutes, when Huffman scored 13 points.
Huffman forced 21 Hillcrest turnovers and gave up just seven, leading to 13 more shot attempts.
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Huffman's Tamiria Jones scored 21 points, and Jamiria Jones added 16.
Freshman Blakely Nixon led Hillcrest with 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting, while Nyeishia Davis added 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Jareah Branch added nine points and rebounds for Hillcrest.
Hillcrest took an early 9-0 lead as Huffman was out of sorts early. Huffman took its first lead late in the second quarter on Jamiria Jones' third 3-pointer. The lead lasted only seconds as Davis made a 3-pointer on the next possession.
Hillcrest led 27-23 after the first half, when both teams struggled to limit offensive rebounds and second chance.
Jerell Rushin is a recruiting reporter for the Tuscaloosa News and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jrushin@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @JerellRushin_.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: AHSAA girls basketball: Huffman rally denies Hillcrest in 6A semifinals
