Indians advance to 1st state final
BIRMINGHAM — Sometime around 3 o’clock Wednesday afternoon, Darrell Barber started to cry.
Not because he was filled with sorrow. But because he was filled with the pride and joy that naturally swell when a first-year coach leads a high school basketball team to its first state final in school history.
That’s what the Pinson Valley boys accomplished at Legacy Arena thanks to their heart-pounding 54-51 victory over Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa in the Class 6A state semifinals.
On Saturday, the Indians (23-9) will vie for the state title against Carver-Montgomery.
"I’m just happy for these seniors and these guys, the way they fight,” said Barber, who paused during his press conference to wipe away a stream of tears. “It doesn’t matter what we go through, and we just always seem to overcome. I’m just thankful.”
Throughout the season, Barber has impressed upon his players the concept of team before self. The Indians are reminded of it each time they look at the back of a teammate's jersey.
In cardinal letters, PV>Me appears in place of the last name.
“That means brotherhood because early on in the season we wasn’t together," senior Geordon Pollard said. "But we sat down plenty of times and just talked about getting to this moment and what it would take.”
It took a win like Pinson Valley earned against Hillcrest (28-8), one that resulted from a true team effort. Four Indians — GaQuincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry, Kam Woods, Marques McConico and Pollard — scored in double figures.
Tight defense helped save the day.
The Indians built an 11-point lead, 45-34, at the beginning of the fourth quarter. But the Patriots whittled the deficit to one, 52-51, with a minute remaining behind guard JaLon Johnson, who finished with a game-high 27 points.
McKinstry hit a pair of free throws in the final minute to give Pinson Valley extra breathing room. On Hillcrest's final possession, a last-gap 3-point attempt rattled off the rim.
"We knew the game wasn't over. We knew they were going to make a run," Barber said. "It was just about withstanding the run."
The Indians also withstood a run at the beginning of the game. They couldn’t buy a basket for the first quarter and a half, shooting 6-of-20 from the field and 0-of-7 from beyond the arc.
With under five minutes to play until halftime, they faced a 21-12 deficit.
Then, McKinstry stepped up.
He scored nine points of his team-high 18 points over the next four minutes, including two on a breakaway dunk thrown down so emphatically that it left the net stuck in the rim and caused a stoppage in play.
“That kind of energized the team and brought everyone up," he said.
McKinstry nearly converted another authoritative dunk a couple of minutes later but was fouled. He went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line at the end of the second quarter.
His accuracy helped give the Indians a 28-26 lead at the half. In the locker room, Barber said he told his players to come out and win the third quarter.
They did.
McConico hit three jumpers from the left side of the floor, including a 3, after the break. McKinstry, meanwhile, added another emphatic two-handed jam.
“Kobe [Bryant] has the kill spots," said McConico, who registered 11 points. "I kind of try to do that with my game and get to my spots where I’m comfortable.”
Hillcrest didn't allow McConico or Pinson Valley to stay comfortable in the final frame. But the Indians never wilted.
Woods finished the game with 13 points, and Horace Wilson corralled 12 rebounds.
As the final buzzer sounded, Barber raised his hands in the air and pointed to the sky. A wave of relief washed over his face.
“I don’t care how good we are, how athletic we are, how experienced we may be," he said. "When you get on this stage, it’s a different animal."
Now, only one game remains. Tipoff on Saturday is at 2:15 p.m.