Lady Jags dominate Huffman, punch ticket to state
JACKSONVILLE – It quickly became the Sarah Ashlee Barker show on Tuesday morning.
The Spain Park High School sophomore guard’s 20 first-half points propelled the Lady Jags to a 61-39 win over Huffman in the Class 7A Northeast Regional final at Jacksonville State University’s Pete Mathews Coliseum.
“It just kind of happened,” Barker said of her hot start. “When I started going, I knew I wanted the ball and I was getting open shots. I give a ton of credit to (my teammates).” She finished her day with 24 points and nine rebounds.
Barker was the spark that got the engine running, as she scored the Lady Jags’ first 16 points of the contest. She nailed three consecutive 3-pointers to bridge the first and second quarters, as Spain Park opened up a 16-6 lead.
Claire Holt, Spain Park’s leading scorer, wasn’t concerned about her shot not falling early, since Barker was off to such a great start.
“Me and (Barker) have to carry a lot of load putting the ball in the basket so we’ve got to have our points somehow,” Holt said. “When you’re feeling it, we want you to keep shooting.”
It wasn’t as if the rest of the Lady Jags were ice cold from the field as much as it was Barker seeing red. But after Barker’s start, the rest of the team took the baton the rest of the way.
Bailey Bowers scored the last five Spain Park (28-6) points of the first half to make the lead 28-16, and the Lady Jags put together an electrifying 13-0 run early in the third quarter to effectively put the game out of reach.
A big key to Spain Park’s victory was rebounding margin. The Lady Jags outrebounded the Vikings, 45-31, and pulled down an impressive 20 offensive boards.
“That’s probably the best we’ve been against a good team,” said Spain Park head coach Mike Chase. “We’ve been harping on that.”
Bowers, Ahrielle Parks and Holt knocked down 3s in the third quarter, and Avery Masdon capped off the quarter with two straight buckets to give the Lady Jags a 51-23 edge over Huffman (16-15).
Holt heated up in the second half and finished the game with 14 points. Bowers joined her in double figures, with 10 points and seven rebounds. Barrett Herring pulled down eight boards.
Barker was named the regional tournament’s MVP. Holt and Bowers were also named to the all-tournament team.
For the second straight year, Spain Park is heading to the state semifinals after winning the Northeast Regional. The Lady Jags will play next Thursday, March 1, at noon. Bowers said the team was much more comfortable with the surroundings and environment this time around.
“All of us have been here before,” she said. “It’s a lot easier. I remember last year, the first game I was shaking. It was crazy. This year, we know Jacksonville.”
The meeting between the two teams was the fourth of the season. The Lady Jags won the first two by more than 20 points, but escaped with a three-point win in the Class 7A, Area 6 championship game two weeks ago.
Chase said coming into the game the Lady Jags hoped to limit Huffman to 45 points or less. Mission accomplished.
“When we got to halftime and they had 16, we knew we were on our way,” he said.
Autumn Nolen scored 14 points to lead the Vikings.
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