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Photo by Sarah Owens
Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Grayson Hudgens faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Jones Cleary faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Sarah Gordon faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Emory Bear faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Jill Gaylard faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Jones Cleary faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Grayson Hudgens faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Jill Gaylard faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Jack Cobb faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Jill Gaylard faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Adrian Peterson faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Olivia Hunsberger faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Adrian Peterson faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Grayson Hudgens is comforted after the team lost against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Emory Bear faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Emma Gordon faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Johnny Towry faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball player Sarah Gordon faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Emory Bear faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball coach John David Smelser directs players during a game against Albertville at the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Johnny Towry faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills women's basketball faced off against Albertville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Johnny Towry faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Jones Cleary faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Jones Cleary faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Johnny Towry faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Johnny Towry faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
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Vestavia Hills men's basketball player Emory Bear faced off against Huntsville during the Northeast Regional tournament at Jacksonville State University on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. Photo by Sarah Owens.
JACKSONVILLE – Some days, the ball doesn’t bounce your way.
The Vestavia Hills High School girls basketball team was forced to accept that truth the hard way Monday evening, as the Lady Rebels were upset by Albertville 43-40 in the Class 7A Northeast Regional semifinals at Jacksonville State University.
Vestavia struggled in ways it often doesn’t, with only four players scoring in the game and posting single-digit points in the first and fourth quarters.
“That wasn’t quite who we are, but they had a lot to do with that,” Vestavia Hills head coach John David Smelser said following the game.
Albertville (29-3) led much of the opening two and a half quarters, jumping out to an 11-5 edge after a quarter of play and hanging to a 22-20 edge after a half of play.
Vestavia Hills got things going in the third quarter to pull ahead and led by as many as eight points early in the fourth quarter. But Mylie Butler, one of two key transfers for the Aggies this year, helped her team seal the game. She finished with 24 points and seven rebounds, including hitting the decisive three free throws in the final 35 seconds.
Albertville has struggled the last couple years, but new head coach Natasha Smallwood and guards Butler and Mississippi State commit Lani Smallwood have energized the program.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to them,” Smelser said. “We held them to 43 points and when you do that, you have a chance to win.”
Senior star Sarah Gordon led Vestavia with 31 points and 13 rebounds in the contest.
“We felt pretty prepared, she said. “I’m sad it had to end this way.”
Gordon, Jill Gaylard, Jordan Madsen, Rosemary Gill, Emma Gordon and Grayson Hudgens comprise a senior class that won at a high level.
“Best I’ve coached,” Smelser said. “They’re like my kids. I won’t get to show up with these kids anymore. That’s the part that really hurts. Incredible group, incredible basketball players and people and families and they represent Vestavia the best.”
Vestavia Hills finishes the year with a record of 27-4, only losing to four-time reigning state champion Hoover twice, an unbeaten Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa team and Albertville.
Hoover and Albertville will face off Thursday with a trip to the final four on the line.
The Vestavia Hills boys gave Huntsville a challenge Monday evening, but the Panthers overcame the Rebels 79-57.
The first two quarters were pretty tightly contested, with Huntsville holding an 18-14 lead after a quarter and a 34-27 lead at the halftime break. But the Panthers pulled away in the third quarter and put the game out of reach.
“We wanted to switch defenses a lot,” Vestavia Hills head coach Patrick Davis said following the game. “The kids did a really good job of doing what we asked them to do for a lot of that game.”
For the Rebels to get back to the regional tournament was a bit of an upset in and of itself. Davis credited his players for stepping up. Not only did the team replace five top contributors from a season ago, but also battled multiple season-ending injuries throughout the year.
“They played to the [Vestavia] standard,” Davis said.
Adam Barksdale took over the leading scorer role for Vestavia this season and led the charge with 24 points on the night. Johnny Towry joined him in double figures with 14 points.
“Our growth from the beginning of the season to the end, I’ve never seen it. We had people go down and people stepped up,” Barksdale said.
JD Gossett led Huntsville with 15 points in the game.
Huntsville will take on unbeaten Hoover in the regional final Thursday afternoon.
The Rebels finish the season with a record of 18-11.
