AHSAA basketball: Prattville Christian girls win third consecutive state championship
BIRMINGHAM − Prattville Christian girls basketball defeated Priceville 76-59 Friday for the AHSAA 4A state championship, its third consecutive title.
PCA led by 15 points late, but Priceville caused a handful of turnovers and caught a rhythm on 3-pointers to come within two points midway through the second quarter.
PCA went up by seven soon afterwards and won the quarter 18-17. The third quarter was the difference maker for PCA, which held Priceville to 3-of-18 shooting while it scored 22 points.
PCA moved up to 4A this season after winning the past two 3A championships.
"I'm so proud of these young ladies," PCA coach Jason Roberson said.
Senior Coco Thomas scored 29 points with 13 rebounds and senior Hannah Jones added 23 points with 18 rebounds. They combined for 14 offensive rebounds, three blocks and six steals.
PCA's Avery Rogers scored 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting on 3-pointers with four rebounds, four assists and four steals.
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Thomas, a Shelton State commit, was named tournament MVP after she finished with 49 points and 32 rebounds in two games at the Final Four.
"It’s surreal," Roberson said. "We never said we were going to win three in a row. We just wanted to win one. We just wanted to get to the final four. It's a credit to these ladies and how they've stepped up. This one is new. We’re proud to embrace the ability to play at a higher level. It feels good to be a 4A state champion."
Thomas and Jones had more rebounds, 31, than Priceville's 27. They also had more offensive rebounds than Priceville's 13 defensive rebounds.
"We wanted to make a statement that we would be 4A state champs, and we came to this game with that mindset,” Jones said.
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: Prattville Christian claims another AHSAA basketball state championship
