From STAFF REPORTS
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Albertville shook off a slow start and advanced to the region final.
The Aggies got a game-high 27 points from senior star Lani Smallwood to beat Vestavia Hills 54-35 Monday morning in the Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinals.
Second-ranked Albertville will play No. 1 Hoover or Sparkman at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday with the winner earning a trip to the state tournament in Birmingham.
Hoover is the defending state champion.
The Aggies (28-4) led 10-8 after a quarter and 21-19 at halftime but stretched it to 30-24 at the final rest stop.
Smallwood was 10 of 20 from the field including 3 of 8 from 3-point land.
Whitley Booker scored 9 points, Mylie Butler 8, Millie McBee 7 and Gracyn Robeson 3.
Ella Grace Stricklin led 10th-ranked Vestavia Hills with 10 points.
Albertville held the Rebels (21-12) to 37% shooting from the field (13 of 35), including just 2 of 8 (25%) from 3-point range.
VESTAVIA HILLS (35)
Stricklin 4-14 1-2 10, Black 0-2 4-4 4, Hunsburger 3-5 1-7 7, Faulkner 0-1 0-0 0, Cowan 1-2 0-2 2, Adkins 0-3 0-0 0, Splawn 0-0 0-0 0, Leyden 0-0 0-0 0, Beard 0-0 0-0 0, Miller 1-1 0-0 3, Perry 0-0 0-0 0, Kelley 3-5 1-1 7, Ferguson 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 13-35 7-16 35.
ALBERTVILLE (54)
Butler 1-4 5-6 8, McBee 3-4 1-6 7, Smallwood 10-20 4-6 27, Robeson 1-5 0-0 3, Booker 2-6 5-5 9, Burns 0-0 0-0 0, Hardin 0-1 0-0 0, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, West 0-0 0-0 0, Pruitt 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-40 15-23 54.
Vestavia Hills 8•11•5•11—35
Albertville 10•11•9•24—54
3-Point Goals—Vestavia Hills 2-8 (Stricklin 1-3, Faulkner 0-1, Adkins 0-1, Miller 1-1, Kelley 0-1, Ferguson 0-1), Albertville 5-17 (Butler 1-2, Smallwood 3-8, Robeson 1-5, Booker 1-5, Hardin 0-1). Fouled Out—Hunsburger, Cowan. Rebounds—Vestavia Hills 29 (Black 7), Albertville 15 (Butler 4). Assists—Vestavia Hills 6 (Cowan 2), Albertville 6 (Smallwood 3). Total Fouls—Vestavia Hills 19, Albertville 15. Technicals—None.
Albertville senior Lani Smallwood, a Mississippi State signee, drives to the basket in the first half Monday morning of the Aggies’ 54-35 victory over Vestavia Hills in a semifinal game at the Class 7A Northeast Regional Tournament at Pete Mathews Coliseum in Jacksonville. Smallwood scored a game-high 27 points to lift the second-ranked Aggies into the region final. A victory in Wednesday’s Elite Eight game would put Albertville into the state tournament in Birmingham. Photo By MIRANDA HUMPREY l Albertville City Schools
