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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon dives over McGill -Toolen's Larry Rembert Jr. for a loose ball in the 2nd half in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) struggles for control of the ball with McGill-Toolen's Matthew McNeese in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Kevy Eason (14) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) races McGill-Toolen's Darius Bradley downcourt in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover cheerleaders in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Ahman Ellington reaches for a loose ball in the 1st half. The 7A Boys Final Four matchup between Hoover and McGill-Toolen held at the BJCC Legacy Arena Wednesday March 2, 2016 in Birmingham, Alabama. Photo by Frank Couch
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
The 7A Boys Final Four matchup between Hoover and McGill-Toolen held at the BJCC Legacy Arena Wednesday March 2, 2016 in Birmingham, Alabama. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Marion Humphrey passes in the 1st half. The 7A Boys Final Four matchup between Hoover and McGill-Toolen held at the BJCC Legacy Arena Wednesday March 2, 2016 in Birmingham, Alabama. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Jamari Blackmon makes a shot attempt at the buzzer in the first half. The 7A Boys Final Four matchup between Hoover and McGill-Toolen held at the BJCC Legacy Arena Wednesday March 2, 2016 in Birmingham, Alabama. Photo by Frank Couch
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Ahman Ellington (21) drives inside in the 1st half in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Marion Humphrey (22) passes the ball inside the lane in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Johnathan Postell (50) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover cheerleaders in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Sri Prahadeeswaran in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Ahman Ellington (21) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Kevy Eason (14) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Matthew Rickman (20) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Johnathan Postell (50) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Photo courtesy of Barry Stephenson
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Wes Banks (33) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover head coach Charles Burkett calls for a timeout in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Marion Humphrey (22) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Marion Humphrey battles McGill Toolen's Larry Rembert, Jr. for a loose ball in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon dives over McGill -Toolen's Larry Rembert Jr. for a loose ball in the 2nd half in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover fans react to the first overtime in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover cheerleaders in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon was fouled and slid into the side court tables in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon was fouled and slid into the side court tables in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon shoots a 3 pointer in the 1st overtime in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon shoots the shot that sends the game to the 3rd overtime in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Tavian Roundtree and Jamari Blackmon celebrate going into the 3rd overtime in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover's Matthew Rickman (20) in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover head coach Charles Burkett talks with Jamari Blackmon (3) during a time out in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
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Frank Couch
Hoover Basketball
Hoover in the Class 7A State Semifinal between Hoover and McGill Toolen on March 2, 2016, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena.
It took double overtime, but McGill-Toolen had just enough in the tank to top Hoover, 77-74, in the Class 7A Boys State Semifinal at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena on Thursday.
Rene Scott scored the final nine points for McGill-Toolen in the second overtime period, and gave the Yellow Jackets their final lead with a layup with 1:09 to play.
He hit two free throws to put a bow on the game and propel McGill-Toolen to the State Final. Scott finished the game with 21 points and six assists.
The game would not have reached that point without the heroics of Hoover’s Jamari Blackmon, who scored a game-high 29 points in a standout performance. The sophomore guard drove and scored at the buzzer in the first overtime period to tie the game, and had a big bucket late in regulation to give the Bucs a brief lead.
“Coach just told me to create space for myself and I did, and I was able to knock down the shot,” Blackmon said of his shot to force double overtime.
The Bucs held an early edge in the second overtime, extending the lead to four before Scott took over. An offensive play went awry late, and forced them to foul Scott. Hoover had one last shot to tie it, but it came up just short.
“I’m so thankful and grateful for our kids to have this experience,” Hoover head coach Charles Burkett said. “They’ve worked so hard to get to this point…It was a wonderful ride.”
TJ Howard paced the Yellow Jackets with 23 points and 13 rebounds in the game. He fouled out early in the second overtime, but as was the case all game long, McGill-Toolen had other players to step up.
“The biggest thing was our guys just hanging together,” McGill-Toolen head coach Phillip Murphy said. “We had some guys that don’t play many minutes play big minutes.”
In the first period of free basketball, the two teams went back and forth. Each of Hoover’s three field goals in the period drew them to a tie. Blackmon nailed a three to knot things at 63. Postell tied the game at 65 with a basket, and Blackmon’s buzzer-beater made the score 67-all.
Blackmon suffered with cramping issues late in the game, but played a team-high 35 minutes, as Burkett continued to put the ball in his hands late.
“That’s how much confidence I have in Jamari’s game. He played insurmountable minutes. We couldn’t get him a rest because I thought he gave our team its best chance by creating space. I put so much pressure on him and I’m so proud of him, especially the way he came through,” Burkett said.
Postell was a force to be reckoned with down low all game long with key putback after key putback. He finished with a double-double of 15 points and ten rebounds, seven of them on the offensive end.
“I just work on it,” said Postell. “Coach tells me to be strong, and I play as strong as I can. I try to grab every single rebound I can and get every single bucket I can.”
Jaylen Gaither sparked Hoover’s offense in the first quarter, as he hit a deep three-pointer and was fouled on his next attempt from deep, as the Bucs took a 13-11 lead after a quarter.
One of Postell’s many putback baskets pulled Hoover within two at the half.
Marion Humphrey stepped up in the third, as he hit a three and converted a reverse layup to give the Bucs their first lead since early in the second quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Jamari Blackmon’s bucket gave the Bucs a 57-55 edge with just under a minute to go. Matthew Rickman knocked down a pair of free throws to make the lead four.
TJ Howard hit a pair of free throws with 20 seconds remaining to tie the game. Hoover’s attempts missed at the horn, sending the game to overtime.
Paris Chambers scored 12 points for McGill, as three players scored in double figures.
Humphrey finished with eight points for the Bucs. Kevy Eason scored six, and Cam Jones and Gaither each scored five.
Hoover’s season ends with a 16-19 mark, as the Bucs played a schedule packed with juggernauts with a team that lose nine seniors from its 2015 state champion squad.
Burkett said, “It was not as much of a Cinderella as people think. There were so many tough teams and we had to grow with minimal experience.”
But the Bucs finally hit their stride come playoff time, and that is all a coach can ask for.
“You would like to start playing good basketball towards the end of the season, but we started in the playoffs,” Burkett added. “It took us all the way to the end of the regular season to get it, but we got it. That was the key, and now these guys are going to bring a lot of experience back next year.”
