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BIRMINGHAM -- Emma Kate Smith overcame a slow start by catching fire in the fourth quarter, leading Trinity to a 52-48 comeback win over Clements in the Class 3A girls basketball state championship on Friday. Smith, Trinity's all-time leading scorer, had just 3 points through three quarters as the Wildcats trailed by 8 entering the fourth. But she knocked down a deep 3-pointer to spark a 23-11 run to close out the game. Smith finished with 14 points, including three 3-pointers in the final period. Her last one from about 25 feet gave Trinity a 6-point lead with under 2…

BIRMINGHAM -- Aliceville senior Ty'Jarian Williams sank a dramatic free throw with 3.6 seconds left to give the Yellow Jackets a thrilling 44-43 win over St. Luke's in the Class 2A boys basketball state championship on Friday. Williams split a pair of free throws in a tie game, and his second attempt bounced high in the air before falling through to put Aliceville ahead. The Yellow Jackets then swatted away St. Luke's inbounds pass as time expired, setting off a celebration. It's the first state championship for the Aliceville boys in their first-ever trip to the title game. "It's no…

BIRMINGHAM -- Mars Hill Bible leaned on standout 7th-grader Belle Hill, who came up huge with 27 points, leading the Panthers past Cold Springs 69-47 in the Class 2A girls basketball state championship on Friday. The 13-year-old Hill took over the game in the second quarter, scoring 11 of her 19 first-half points to spark a major 25-8 run for Mars Hill. That outburst transformed an early 18-9 deficit into a 34-26 halftime lead. Hill knocked down shots from all over the court, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, while also getting to the free throw line. She finished 11-of-12 at…

BIRMINGHAM -- Trey Kellogg calmly stepped to the free throw line and sank three clutch shots in the final 14 seconds, lifting defending champion Covenant Christian to a 50-46 win over Oakwood Adventist Academy in a thrilling Class 1A boys basketball state championship game on Thursday night. The win gives Covenant back-to-back state titles under coach Brett Waldrep. Kellogg, a junior, made two free throws with 14 seconds left to put Covenant up 49-46 after Oakwood had rallied within one point. The Mustangs then missed the front end of a 1-and-1, and Kellogg secured the rebound. He was fouled immediately…

BIRMINGHAM -- Ace Austin scored 33 points to lead top-ranked Spring Garden past defending champion Marion County 62-39 in the Class 1A girls basketball state championship game on Thursday. Austin, a sophomore, knocked down two 3-pointers and went 11-of-14 from the free throw line en route to capturing MVP honors. She added 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for the Lady Panthers. Spring Garden leaned heavily on the 3-point shot, attempting 36 in the game. Austin encourages his shooters to keep firing. "Coach tells us that good shooters shoot so keep on shooting," Austin said. "We just had to…