Photo by Kamp Fender.
Leah Harrison (42) splits defenders during Hewitt-Trussville’s AHSAA Class 7A championship basketball game against Hoover on March 2 at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
Hewitt-Trussville High School’s girls basketball team put together a historic 2018-19 season, as the Lady Huskies advanced to the Class 7A state championship game for the first time in school history.
On March 2, Hoover finished off a nearly flawless campaign with a 47-33 victory over Hewitt-Trussville in the 7A state championship game at Legacy Arena.
The disappointing finish signified the end of a spectacular run for the Hewitt-Trussville program. The Lady Huskies reached the state final four for the first time and advanced to the championship game with its thrilling 48-45 win over Auburn.
“Before we went out, we told the kids, ‘This is not life or death for us,’” said Hewitt-Trussville head coach Tonya Hunter. “There’s so many teams that would love to be in this game, in this atmosphere with the fans in the stands. We just wanted to go out and execute and we could never get started on the script.”
Hoover only lost once all season — to 6A champ Hazel Green — and regularly beat opponents by 30 points or more.
The first half was a slow one for both sides. Hoover jumped out to a 15-8 lead after a quarter of play, but the teams combined for just four field goals in the second quarter. The Lady Bucs held a 23-11 edge at the break, with both teams shooting less than 28 percent from the floor.
Hoover scored six of the first seven points of the third quarter and was never threatened the rest of the way.
“Hoover is an outstanding team,” said Hunter of a program that won its second title in three years. “They know how to win, they’ve been on this stage before.”
Morgan Kirk led Hewitt-Trussville with 14 points in her final game with the Lady Huskies.
“This season was an outstanding season,” said Kirk, the team’s lone senior.
In the semifinal win over Auburn, Kirk hit four free throws in the final minute to seal the Lady Huskies’ victory. At the Northwest Regional tournament, the Lady Huskies made it to the regional final for the first time since 2016 and broke through with a big 72-56 win over area foe Spain Park, which had beaten Hewitt-Trussville in four previous meetings.
The Lady Huskies reaped the fruits of their labor this season, but Hewitt-Trussville is aiming to be more than a one-hit wonder at the final four. The Lady Huskies played a challenging schedule and finished with a 21-11 record.
“We’re going to go back to work and try to get here again,” Hunter said.
