Indians capture 1st state basketball title
BIRMINGHAM — Kam Woods delivered the dagger with less than a minute left in Saturday's Class 6A state final.
With his team leading Carver-Montgomery by seven points, Pinson Valley High School's star guard swished a 3 from the right wing.
He smiled after watching the ball fall through the basket. Then, he turned to the crowd at Legacy Arena and raised his arms high above his head.
"When I hit the 3, I knew the game was over then," said Woods, who had requested the opportunity during a preceding timeout. "That's why I wanted the ball so bad, so I could go ahead and get it over with."
Woods' 3, and ensuing fastbreak layup, put the finishing touches on the Indians' 58-44 victory that secured Pinson its first state basketball title in school history.
"I'm just in shock. This feels like a big dream right now, man," Indians first-year head coach Darrell Barber said. "I'm just thankful for the community of Pinson, the administration, the leaders that they have for believing in us and supporting us."
Pinson entered the final quarter trailing 39-37 but outscored Carver, the reigning state champion, 21-5 in the final frame. The Indians (24-9) maintained composure on both ends of the floor during their defining run.
They didn't look like a team making their first-ever state final appearance.
"If you want to win, you have eight minutes left," Barber recalled telling his team with a quarter to go. "If you want to make history, you have eight minutes left."
His players didn't let the chance slip away.
Woods, who recorded a game-high 25 points and was named tournament MVP, opened the final quarter with a long 3. A few possessions later, he banked in a floater off the glass that gave Pinson a 44-42 lead and evoked a roar from the crowd.
The Indians never trailed again.
Marques McConico hit a 3 from the right wing, and GaQuincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry made an acrobatic layup as he tumbled to the hardwood. McKinstry recorded 15 points and joined Woods on the all-tournament team.
"That's what I had to do, step up for the team," McKinstry said.
Led by 6-foot-8 forward Jaykwon Walton, Carver (23-11) took a 17-14 lead after one quarter. He scored nine points in the first frame, draining a pair of 3s and converting an old-fashioned three-point play.
Walton headlined a Carver starting lineup that included three players 6-4 or taller. Pinson didn't start one player of equal stature, but it countered height and muscle with skill and hustle.
Woods recorded 13 points in the opening half, including a pair of deep 3s, while McKinstry chipped in eight points. Twice in the second quarter McKinstry danced through a sea of defenders en route to converting layups.
The duo fueled Pinson's 8-1 run to close the second period. It entered the break down one, 28-27, after trailing by as many as seven.
"We've been down before," Barber said. "We knew there was going to be an adverse situation, so we didn't falter. We just dug in. It is what it is. We knew what we had to do."
Pinson took a brief lead in the third period on a 3 from McKinstry before Carver clicked off five straight points. McKinstry made a jumper at the end of the quarter to pull his team within two, 39-37.
Then, Woods found another gear.
"Once again, Kam Woods, man, sealing the deal in the moment," said Barber, his coach since he was a seventh-grader at Midfield.
Geordon Pollard added 11 points for the Indians, who were outrebounded 35-22 but turned the ball over only six times. Their protection of the basketball enabled them to capture the school's third state title in the past two years.
Pinson's football team won state championships in 2017 and 2018.
"Winning the back-to-backs, there's nothing better than that," said McKinstry, who also plays football. "Going home with two rings in one year as a sophomore."