James Clemens survives, Sparkman ends Bob Jones season
HARVEST- James Clemens boys held off Buckhorn Thursday night at the class 7A, Area 8 tournament 48-46. Garrett Hicks blocked a potential game-winning shot with one second left. A.J. McGinnis had 2 free throws to get the Jets the lead for good.
Renard Mitchell picked up the scoring as the Jets high-scoring duo of McGinnis and Hicks had an off night shooting the basketball. Mitchell hit 3 three-point baskets in the third quarter and finished with 17 points.
In the other semifinal game Sparkman ran away from Bob Jones to a 69-44 victory.
Sparkman’s Darrion Howard got the Senators a big lead early as he hit three three-pointers and had 13 points in the first quarter. Howard finished with 22. AJ Horton also had a big game scoring 10 in the second half and finishing with 16.
Sparkman’s Caleb Mack went out with a cramp and 6-6 senior Jonathon Bolden came in and contributed with a slam dunk and two blocked shots in the third quarter.
Sparkman got good minutes off the bench from Bolden and Amaurious Beasley.
With three minutes left in the game and Sparkman on a 6-0 run Bob Jones Coach Luther Tiggs called timeout and both coaches pulled all their starters and emptied the bench.
In his last game for Bob Jones, Chase Fiddler finished with 9 points. Bob Jones finished with a record of 8-19.
Sparkman Head Basketball Coach Jaime Coggins has beaten James Clemens in two close games this season and wants this win to clinch the Area 8 Championship.
“We got James Clemens Saturday night and they are playing as well as anybody in the area and we have to play well against them. We will go down to Wallace St. and anybody you draw down there will be tough. It will be a challenge, but our guys are playing well, and we will be up to the task,” Coggins said.
Hoover and Vestavia await at Wallace St.
Vestavia advanced out of this regional last year.
“Our success starts with defensive intensity,” Coggins said. “Darron set the tone on the offensive end. He and Malek have been our top scorers all year and we need them to keep scoring for us to do well down the road.”
