Rebels sink Thompson with 3-pointers

HOOVER -- Their warmup uniforms say they are relentless, but on Thursday night against Thompson, Vestavia Hills was “three-lentless.”

Vestavia Hills drained 10 3-pointers and rolled over Thompson 76-42 in the Class 7A, Area 5 tournament at Hoover.

The Rebels drilled eight first-half 3-pointers to take control and never looked back. Vestavia Hills led 40-15 at halftime after getting behind 10-8 late in the first quarter.

“That’s kind of how we play, drive-and-kick basketball,” said Vestavia Hills head coach Patrick Davis.

At one point in the first half, the Rebels went on a 21-0 run. Thompson was held scoreless for much of the second quarter.

“Basketball is a simple game. If you can hold people to zero or one shot per possession, you’ve got a chance to win,” Davis said.

Mac Smith led the way for the Rebels, scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Tucker Queen scored all 12 of his points in the fourth quarter. Rian Shields and Luke Champion scored nine points apiece. Paul Michael Hargrove scored eight points.

Davis said the Rebels’ starting point guard was out with the flu.

“I was proud of some other guys for stepping up,” Davis said. “That was good.”

For Thompson, Drew Thomas led the way with 20 points.

Vestavia Hills advances to Saturday’s area championship game at Hoover. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. against the host Bucs. With Thursday's win, the Rebels secured their spot in the 7A regional tournament set for Feb. 16 at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville. 

Lady Rebels season comes to a close

The Vestavia Hills girls basketball team fell to Hoover on Wednesday night, 64-34, in the first round of the 7A, Area 5 tournament. The loss ended the Lady Rebels' season.