Woodland rolled to its second straight Class 2A girls state basketball championship Friday as the Bobcats (34-1) beat Red Bay 65-52 in the finals at the BJCC.
Class 2A State Tournament MVP Leah Strain scored 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. She was also named MVP in 2013.
Teammate Adreona Bowen added 15 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, Jaide Walker had eight points, Shanna Strain scored seven and Shalyn Strain had six. Coach Larry Strain’s team out-rebounded Red Bay (32-4) 36-17.
Red Bay, coached by Alabama’s all-time girl’s basketball career wins leader Donnie Roberts, fell behind 35-17 by halftime but shot 54.2 percent from the field in the second half to outscore Woodland 35-30. Allie Kennedy led the Tigers with 19 points and Kasey Sparks had 16.
Leah Strain closed her prep career with 4,561 points. She also closed out her Final 48 with 62 points in two games and had 192 in six Final 48 games (2011, 2013, 2014). Strain ranks second all-time behind her older sister Courtney Strain, who scored 5,283 points in a career that spanned from 2004-10. Leah Strain also finished her career playing for her dad in 191 winning games with just 16 career losses – a state record. Woodland has gone 95-5 over the last three seasons and won 30 or more games all six years Leah Strain started at point guard.
Class 2A All-State Tourney Team
Leah Strain, Woodland (MVP); Adreona Bowen, Woodland; Kasey Sparks, Red Bay; Allie Kennedy, Red Bay; LaTascya Duff, Samson; Jade Brooks, Montgomery Academy.
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Brantley wins 1A Championship
Junior forward Amahni Upshaw scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds to earn MVP honors Friday morning as Brantley (27-5) beat Loachapoka 43-31 to claim its second consecutive Class 1A Girls State Basketball Championship at the BJCC.
Teammate Payton Burnett added 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Bulldogs defense of Coach Andrew Kilcrease limited Loachapoka (27-3) to just 12 field goals for the game – six each half. Coach Anthony Edwards’ team shot only 24.5 percent for the game and was out-rebounded 35-27. Brantley shot 42.4 percent from the field and was 12-of-20 at the foul line. Upshaw was 7-of-13 on free throws.
Nautika Philpot haf eight points and six rebounds and Keremi Vinson had seven points and seven rebounds.
The title was Brantley’s second. The Bulldogs won last year over Keith 48-39 in the title game.
Class 1A All-State Tourney Team
Amahni Upshaw, Brantley (MVP); Payton Burnett, Brantley; Keremi Vinson, Loachapoka; Nautika Philpot, Loachapoka; Autumn Eddy, Falkville; Kelsi Sisk, Woodville.
(AHSAA)