Jags upend Spartans, end 38-game home win streak
MOUNTAIN BROOK -- Brooklyn Polk hit two clutch free throws with seven seconds left in regulation to give Spain Park the four-point cushion it needed in order to hang on and beat Class 7A No. 1 Mountain Brook 66-62 Tuesday night at Spartan Arena.
The defeat ended the Spartans' 38-game home win streak that dated to November 2013.
"Here, against them with their mystique and stuff, it's just really nice," Spain Park head coach Donnie Quinn said of the win. "No other gym is really this loud that you play in."
Polk and Jamal Johnson took control for the Jags in the fourth quarter, accounting for 15 of their team's 19 points. Polk finished with 14 total points. Johnson posted a team-high 31.
Spain Park (9-11, 3-0 Area 6) entered the final frame with a 47-43 lead, but Mountain Brook's Trendon Watford and Sean Elmore helped the Spartans draw even at 57-57 with just over two minutes remaining.
Elmore rolled in three fourth-quarter layups, while Watford dueled directly with Johnson. The Mountain Brook sophomore recorded 11 points in the final eight minutes of action. He tallied a game-high 34 points in total.
With 52 ticks left on the clock, Watford hit one of two free throw attempts to tie the game at 60-60. Had he converted both attempts, it would have given Mountain Brook (20-3, 2-1 area) its first lead of the game since the first quarter.
The Spartans jumped out to a quick 8-2 advantage initially, but Johnson kept his team in it. The Memphis signee scored 13 of his team's 14 points in the opening frame. Spain Park led 14-13 after one quarter and 31-28 at the half.
In the final minute of play, Spain Park converted 6 of 8 free throw attempts to give it the deciding edge. Parker Boswell went 2 for 2 from the charity stripe, and Johnson went 2 for 4. Polk then nailed his pair of icing shots, even amid a raucous Spartan crowd that was trying to shake him.
"The fact that somebody else had to step up there and do it though is really...I'm glad it just wasn't him," Quinn said of Johnson, who often acts as the linchpin of Spain Park's attack. "It's good for us that somebody else had to do it too."
In the end, Mountain Brook simply couldn't answer. The Spartans failed to knock down a couple of long-range shots down the stretch, while the Jags prevented them from getting second chances thanks to effective rebounding.
Tuesday's tight victory was the second in as many games for Spain Park. On Friday, the Jags held off Class 7A No.3 Huffman 52-48.
"It just shows you how tough our area is," Quinn said. "All these games are basically down to the wire."
Both teams will return to area play on Friday night. Spain Park will play at Oak Mountain, and Mountain Brook will host Huffman.
Girls
Class 7A No. 6 Spain Park (14-7) improved to 3-0 in Area 6 play with a 62-36 victory over Mountain Brook (12-9, 1-2 area).
The Lady Jags outscored their opponents 41-17 in the second and third quarters, which gave them a comfortable 50-28 advantage heading into the final frame.
Ahrielle Parks led Spain Park with a game-high 19 points. Claire Holt added 15. The duo combined to knock down five 3-pointers, including three in the third quarter. In total, the Lady Jags sank nine triples.
"When you have a team where maybe just one kid can shoot, those are kind of easy to guard," Lady Jags head coach Mike Chase said. "But when you've got a couple of kids, it makes it really tough to guard."
As with the boys, Spain Park and Mountain Brook will both return to area action Friday. The Jags will play at Oak Mountain, and the Spartans will host Huffman.
OTHER AREA ACTION
In other Area 6 action, Oak Mountain and Huffman split the boys and girls games on Tuesday night. Oak Mountain won the girls game, 46-40, while Huffman won the boys game, 60-50.
Hoover picked up a hard-earned sweep over Vestavia Hills on Tuesday night. You can see more from the boys game here.