High School Sports

JACKSONVILLE —While Memphis didn't do it Saturday night, top-ranked Madison Academy lived up to its billing in the Class 3A Northeast Regional final at Jacksonville State's Pete Mathews Coliseum.

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Video: NE Regional Tournament highlights Slideshow: Faces in the crowd

The Mustangs edged No. 2 Crossville 49-48.

Point guard Kerron Johnson, the game's MVP, sank the first of a pair of free-throws with 24 seconds to play to catapult the two-time defending state champions to the one-point win in the third meeting this season between the teams. (Madison Academy won two of the three meetings.)

The 6-foot junior finished with 17 points to go along with six assists and three steals to help the Mustangs (24-8) advance to Tuesday's state semifinals where they'll face Leeds at 10:30 a.m. at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.

Johnson got a steal with 29 seconds to go and was fouled by Crossville's Mick Hedgepeth to set up the game-winning free throw.

Crossville (31-3) led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter but the Mustangs charged back, winning the second quarter 15-3 to go up 27-17 at the half.

The 6-9 Hedgepeth, a Belmont signee, won the battle on the boards with Madison Academy 7-foot center Bawa Maniru, scoring 12 points and grabbing 15 boards to add to three blocks in a marquee matchup. Maniru scored 14 points but grabbed just six rebounds in 29 minutes of action. He also blocked three shots.

Jasen Jonus scored 17 including 11-for-12 shooting from the foul line to lead Crossville.

3A GIRLS

Crossville 64, Glencoe 53 — Crossville pulled away from Glencoe on the strength of an 18-8 fourth quarter after leading by just one after three.

Tournament MVP Courtney Thacker scored a game-high 25 points and snagged eight rebounds to lead the Lady Lions.

After trailing by five after one. Glencoe won the second quarter by four and played Crossville even in the third.

All-Tournament selection Glencoe's Chelsi Matthews scored 24 points to the lead the Lady Yellow Jackets and came up just two shy of the tying the regional Northeast Regional Record with 20 rebounds.

Crossville (20-11) will face Aliceville in the state semifinals at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.

Glencoe ended its season at 20-11 with the loss.

Lexie Stanley also finished in double-figures for Glencoe, scoring 12 points.

4A GIRLS

DAR 58, Boaz 45 — Boaz found itself playing catch up all afternoon long after falling behind by 12 in the first quarter against a DAR team that 50 percent from the field in the first half as they built a 10-point lead at the break.

The Lady Pirates made just four of 22 field goal attempts including 0-of-6 shooting from 3-point range in the first and second quarters and dug themselves a whole they could never shovel themselves out of.

Tournament MVP junior DAR guard Autumn Largen did a little bit of everything for the Lady Patriots, pouring in a game-high 25 points. She also recorded eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Jessica Cooper scored 12 for DAR

Erin Clark and Caitlin Whitt scored all but six of Boaz's points. The duo combined for 39 points with Clark going for 21 and Whitt putting up 18.

DAR (28-5) will face defending Class 4A champion Midfield in the state semifinals at 4 p.m.