The Hoover girls and boys basketball teams punched their tickets to next week’s state tournament with convincing victories in the Class 7A Northeast Regional championship games Wednesday at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Regional MVP Joiya Maddox scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and senior guard Skyla Knight added 19 points to lead the Hoover girls (31-1) to a 73-45 victory against Sparkman.
Reniya Kelly chipped in with 15 points, sinking 6 of 7 shots from the field, for the Bucs.
Hoover avenged a loss to Sparkman in the 2018 regional final.
As for the boys, senior guard Ahman Ellington made 14-of-17 free-throw attempts and finished with 27 points to lead Hoover to a 62-52 against Huntsville. Ellington was named the regional MVP.
C.J. Melton added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Bucs (24-8)
The Hoover girls will play McGill-Toolen Catholic (28-2) in the Class 7A semifinals at noon on Feb. 28 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. The Hoover boys will follow with their semifinal game against Baker (19-14) at 1:30 p.m.
After Mountain Brook cruised to a 57-36 victory against rival Vestavia Hills on Tuesday, the Spartans will play Lee-Montgomery (29-3) in the Class 7A semifinals at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 28 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
Class 7A champion Spain Park fell 72-56 to Hewitt-Trussville in the girls Class 7A Northwest Regional Final Tuesday at Wallace State in Hanceville.
