Bob Jones falls short in Championship game
Birmingham- Neither team played their best game of the season but in the biggest game of the year it was Hoover’s girl’s basketball team that played well enough to claim their second state championship in the last three years. Using their size advantage, Hoover went on a 12-2 run to start the fourth quarter and turned a close game into a route winning 44-26.
“A high school team that size is rare,” said Bob Jones head coach Tim Miller. “That’s the best basketball team we have played all year. They just keep coming at you,” Miller said of Hoover’s big post players.
Hoover rotated three players over 6-foot tall into the post position and it was too much to overcome when Bob Jones lost their leading player. The trouble began early in the first quarter when Jasmine Jones picked up a charging foul. She picked up her second with 18 seconds left in the first quarter and sat the entire second quarter and finished the first half with 2 points.
Bob Jones had their largest lead at 12-8 after Katie Colson scored the first basket of the second quarter. China Leary and Katie Colson each had a three point basket in the first quarter to build the lead. Hoover’s Kayla Anderson hit 3 of 3 from the field in the second quarter as the Bob Jones lead shrunk then was gone. Colson led the Patriots with five points at halftime as Hoover’s lead was only 1 point.
“Its 15-14 at the half and I’ll take that,” Miller said. “We got to make some plays and we didn’t and they did. Jasmine and Tierra have to stay on the court for 4 quarters. Jasmine getting in foul trouble was a key,” said Miller who has now coached Bob Jones to five straight championship games and won two.
Jasmine Jones would play only 19 minutes in the game and scored 6 points. She led a brief Bob Jones rally in the third quarter when she hit a long jumper to tie the score at 17. Hoover surged back behind Marque’es Webb and Breion Allen who had a steal and layup to put Hoover up 21-17.
“I guess we got rattled,” said a subdued Jasmine Jones after the game. Ironically, Jones finished the game with only 3 fouls.
Hoover head coach Donnie Quinn said it was his team’s offensive strategy to go at Jones and try to get her to foul.
“We started out playing Jasmine in a diamond and one and hoping to get her in foul trouble. After that we just rotated defenders on her. It was part of our offensive plan to go at her to see if we could get her to foul. That was a key to get her on the sideline as quick as possible. You can’t score when you are sitting on the bench.”
Bob Jones struggled on offense shooting the ball in the second half. They hit only 2 of 15 shots from the field and did not score a field goal in the fourth quarter when Hoover outscored Bob Jones 21-6.
Seventeen turnovers did not help the Lady Patriots as some sloppy passes were picked off in the second half. Normally reliable point guard Joidan Jennings struggled. She played through foul trouble the whole game and finished with more fouls than points. She finished with 4 fouls and 2 points. Senior China Leary played the whole game but scored only 2 points in the second half. Tierra Jones led the Patriots with 8 points.
“It was a very tough game, very slow,” said Hoover head coach Donnie Quinn after the game. “At halftime the players asked if we could pick up the tempo and we said yes. We got some turnovers and once we got some transition baskets we were able to get a lead.”
Hoover also hit their free throws. In the second half Hoover went 15-20 from the free throw line to pull away.
Auburn signee Nicole Tanner was named tournament MVP. She scored 12 points and pulled 8 rebounds to lead Hoover in both categories.
Bob Jones had 2 players named to the All-tournament team, Jasmine Jones and Tierra Jones.
