Prattville Christian girls basketball headed back to Final Four with win over Trinity

Jacob Shames, Montgomery Advertiser
·2 min read

The Prattville Christian girls basketball team's state title defense is still alive.

With a 47-42 victory over Trinity in Tuesday's Class 3A Southeast Regional final at Garrett Coliseum, the Panthers (34-1) avenged a defeat in the Area 6 championship game and advanced to the AHSAA Final Four next week.

Prattville Christian won three regular-season meetings against the Wildcats (27-6) before Trinity won the area title game two weeks ago.

The Wildcats scored the game's first eight points, pressuring Prattville Christian in the full court and forcing two turnovers. But the Panthers seemed to settle down after Kayden Carr hit a 3-pointer for their first points.

Avery Rogers hit two straight 3-pointers to give PCA the lead, and the post tandem of Hannah Jones and CoCo Thomas got involved in the second quarter. Jones and Thomas had their way with Trinity's smaller forwards, propelling PCA to a 30-22 halftime edge.

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The Panthers kept going to their posts, backing Trinity against the wall and forcing Mya Moskowitz and Kaylee Peevy into foul trouble. But Maddie Smith scored four points late in the third quarter to keep the Wildcats in the game

Emma Kate Smith, held in check much of the game, picked up her aggressiveness late in the fourth quarter. She drilled a 3-pointer and a tough fadeaway to cut PCA's lead to 45-39 with 2:01 to play. Maddie Smith scored to make it a four-point game a minute later.

But that was as close as the Wildcats got, as Rogers hit two free throws with 30 seconds to go and the Panthers prevented Trinity from getting a shot off on the final possession.

Prattville Christian’s Ella Jane Connell (2) defends against Trinity’s Emma Kate Smith (12) during the AHSAA Class 3A Southeast Regional Championship game at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Ala., on Tuesday February 22, 2022.
Prattville Christian’s Ella Jane Connell (2) defends against Trinity’s Emma Kate Smith (12) during the AHSAA Class 3A Southeast Regional Championship game at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery, Ala., on Tuesday February 22, 2022.

Thomas finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Jones added 13 and nine. Rogers had 13 points and five assists. Ella Jane Connell grabbed 10 rebounds.

Maddie Smith led the Wildcats with 16 points. Emma Kate Smith scored 11, and Mary Alice Sasser added nine.

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Prattville Christian will face Plainview Tuesday, March 1 at 9 a.m. at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham.

Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com, by phone at 334-201-9117 and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: AHSAA basketball: Prattville Christian beats Trinity in regional final