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Photo by Erin Nelson
The Rebels celebrate on the court after defeating Auburn 78-58 in the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
The Rebels celebrate on the court after defeating Auburn 78-58 in the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Jill Gaylord (2) takes the ball downcourt guarded by Auburn’s Brianna Harris (12) in the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. The Rebels defeated Auburn 78-58 to advance to the state final Saturday, March 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Emma Smith (3) shoots for 3-points in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game against Auburn at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Carley Smith (4) dribbles the ball guarded by Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (3) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Ally Smith (10) shoots for 3-points in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game against Auburn at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Anna Towry (5) takes the ball to the goal guarded by Auburn’s Sydney Garner (33) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Anna Towry (5) shoots a free throw in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game against Auburn at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Emma Smith (3) moves towards the goal guarded by Auburn’s Kelsi Andrews (23) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Jill Gaylord (2) moves towards the goal guarded by Auburn’s Brianna Harris (12) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Emma Smith (3) moves to shoot for 2-points guarded by Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (3) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Emma Smith (3) moves to shoot for 2-points as she’s fouled by Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (3) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Sarah Gordon moves to shoot a layup guarded by Auburn’s Kelsi Andrews (23) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills head coach John David Smelser calls out from the sideline as the Rebels face Auburn in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Sarah Gordon (33) looks up to shoot for 2-points guarded by Auburn’s Kelsi Andrews (23) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Sarah Gordon (33) shoots for 3-points in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game against Auburn at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Anna Towry (5) takes the ball to the goal guarded by Auburn’s Brianna Harris (12) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Emma Smith (3) shoots a layup guarded by Auburn’s Syriah Daniels (3) in the first half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Emma Smith (3) in the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. The Rebels defeated Auburn 78-58 to advance to the state final Saturday, March 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
The Rebel student section rallies during the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. The Rebels defeated Auburn 78-58 to advance to the state final Saturday, March 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Jill Gaylord (2) takes the ball downcourt guarded by Auburn’s Carleigh Andrews (11) in the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. The Rebels defeated Auburn 78-58 to advance to the state final Saturday, March 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Sarah Gordon (33) shoots for 3-points in the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. The Rebels defeated Auburn 78-58 to advance to the state final Saturday, March 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.
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Photo by Erin Nelson
Vestavia Hills’ Anna Towry (5) shoots a layup in the second half of the AHSAA Class 7A girls state semifinal game at Legacy Arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center on Thursday, March 3, 2022. The Rebels defeated Auburn 78-58 to advance to the state final Saturday, March 5. Photo by Erin Nelson.
BIRMINGHAM – Things could not have started any better for the Vestavia Hills High School girls basketball team Thursday morning.
There were no apparent jitters, no shying away from the bright lights of Legacy Arena at the BJCC.
Vestavia Hills rode that early monetum the whole way and soared into the state final with a 78-58 victory over Auburn on Thursday morning in the Class 7A state semifinals.
“We hit some shots early in the game that I felt like opened it up and we thought our defensive pressure could wear them down. That got us going,” Vestavia Hills head coach John David Smelser said following the game.
The Lady Rebels (33-2) got off to a hot start, scoring 24 points in the opening quarter and opening up a double-digit lead quickly. Auburn entered the game with a clear size advantage, but Vestavia Hills countered that with speed and activity on both ends of the floor, disrupting any rhythm Auburn attempted to create.
Vestavia Hills stretched its lead to 43-26 by halftime, capping off a brilliant shooting display by converting 53% of its field goals, including an 8-for-16 performance from behind the 3-point line.
Both teams got off to a slow start offensively in the third quarter, but the Lady Rebels managed to stretch the lead out to 43-26 heading into the final period.
“These girls have been working extremely hard. They deserve this. A lot of them have been playing together since the third grade. They deserve every second they have of this,” Smelser said.
Five Vestavia players connected on 3-pointers in the game, led by Ally Smith, who knocked down five of them and scored 17 points to lead the way.
“Once we hit shots in the first few minutes, those nerves go away,” she said.
Emma Smith is the team’s leading scorer most nights and put together another great performance Thursday. She scored 15 points, picked up 7 steals and hauled in 4 rebounds.
Defense travels, and that’s our starting point,” she said. “We have a multitude of players that not everyone does the same thing and that makes us a special group. We’re relentless, we push up and down the court and we’re not going to quit.”
Auburn also had no answer for Sarah Gordon, as the 5-foot-11 freshman stretched the floor and scored 15 points, drilling a trifecta of 3-pointers. She was tasked with guarding Auburn’s Kelsi Andrews, a 6-4 eighth grader.
“She’s tall, but having her in the paint allowed us to get shots outside and when I would go out there it would leave the lane open,” Gordon said.
Anna Towry and Grayson Hudgens gave Vestavia five players in double figures, as Towry finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds and Hudgens posted 10 points. Jill Gaylard added 9 points as well.
Syriah Daniels led Auburn with 20 points, with Sydney Garner adding 16 points.
Smelser applauded the Vestavia Hills community for “taking over the BJCC” on Thursday morning and hopes to have a similar environment Saturday against either Hoover or Davidson. If the opponent is Hoover, it will be an opportunity for the Lady Rebels to avenge a nine-point loss in early December.
Vestavia Hills is making its first appearance at the state final four since 2006 and will now have a chance to win its first state championship since 1987, the only other one in program history. The state final will take place Saturday at Legacy Arena at 4 p.m.
“It’s been a long time for us and our community, so this is huge. I hope we can get a big crowd Saturday. It’s going to be a heck of a game, I can tell you that,” Smelser said.
